The J.Crew CEO bought her first interview suit from the popular retailer. Now she wants to cash in on nostalgia

“I bought my first interview suit from J.Crew,” Waddell told Kristen Stoller. luckThe Most Powerful Women Summit is on Wednesday. She didn’t get the job, but Waddell added: “I remember the fabric, I remember the experience, and that still resonates today.”

Now, Wadle wants to continue building momentum at the retailer as it recovers from the crisis Chapter 11 Bankruptcy During the epidemic. Waddell became CEO in November 2020 after 16 years with the company, having previously served in multiple leadership positions, most notably as J.Crew’s first CEO. Largely successful Madewell brand.

Since becoming CEO, she has led the company to Improve profitabilitydriven Acquiring high talent To revamp the product design, bringing the old retailer back to its store Casual roots To win back customers and redefine itself in a crowded market.

It now aims to build on those gains by reconnecting emotionally with customers by leveraging the brand’s timeless appeal and tapping into customer nostalgia.

“There are these kinds of original pieces that all generations are interested in,” Waddell said. “Being a brand that has references to almost a better time or a time of nostalgia… I think that’s a common connection between all generations.”

As another generation looks to buy suits for their first interview, Waddell says J.Crew is finding “those moments of resonance” to attract customers of all ages.

“It actually spans multiple generations (and has been) crucial for us,” Waddell said. “It’s not just about one generation. It’s really about connecting and finding that commonality with everyone.”

New collaborations

This is also part of J.Crew’s logic cooperation With skiing and snowboarding in the United States before the winter of 2026 Olympic Games In Italy because sports are “a time where we can all come together,” Waddell said.

“We are not a performance brand,” she admitted. But “for us, we’re a multi-generational brand, and skiing and snowboarding is really a multi-generational sport.”

Wadle also returned to his longtime love of J.Crew An après-ski aesthetic.

“We have heritage, certainly the cliff side,” Waddell said. “There’s a lot of DNA in there.”

The retailer has partnered with USA Swimming last summer in the run-up to the Paris Olympics, which fueled a 10% year-over-year rise in new customers in the first week and a double-digit increase in web traffic.

So far, cooperation at the Winter Olympics has been rosy. Waddell said she and Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of US Ski & Snowboard, have already begun brainstorming ideas about “life after the Olympics.”

“We’re excited about what we can do next, and how it can provide a platform for both companies,” Waddell said.