With Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s Capsule, J.Crew Gets In On Brat Summer

This summer, the Dimes Square girlies are lingering outside of Le Dive until the early hours, chain-smoking Spirits or Galoise, blasting Charli in the Uber home, and—wearing J.Crew? Its new Maryam Nassir Zadeh capsule seems poised to finally nudge the hallmark of American suburbia to land on this side of cool. Standouts from the 30-piece collection include the flowy white peasant skirt that every 20-something from Tribeca to the 2nd Arrondissement seems to be pairing with beat-up sneakers and a lace-trimmed CouCou camisole, braided leather block-heels purpose-made for dancing in Madrid until the wee hours, and a slinky and sheer crystal-studded bolero-style blouse with three delicate front ties that stand between its wearer and the world.

f this doesn’t look like the J. Crew you think you know, that’s the point. The writing on the wall first appeared in earnest back in February, when the retailer dropped its Spring 2024 lookbook. Among the predictable cotton and cashmere layering moments were a smattering of surprises: boyfriend-cut bomber jackets, not-quite-but-almost-nipple-baring sheer sequined tulle camp shirts, and a low-slung patent leather midi skirt whose candy-apple hue and thigh-high slit rendered it unignorable (Not to mention how it was styled, clinging to the model’s hips, which was a statement in and of itself.)

J.Crew’s status as a famous favorite of Michelle Obama only got it so far when it struggled to find its footing after the departure of CEO Mickey Drexler and Jenna Lyons, the stewards of its last golden age. “Has the great fashion experiment at J. Crew come to an end?” the media asked in Lyons’ wake. Shortly after, the company bottomed out and flirted with bankruptcy. The answer, a resounding “no,” came when it brought in Lyons’ former deputy Olympia Gayot to helm womenswear and Supreme alum Brendon Babinzien on menswear.

Since then, Gayot has gradually nudged the brand’s womenswear to be more in step with the zeitgeist. It’s now on its second collection with Brooklyn-born indie jeweler Catbird, and its holiday capsule with Ukrainian designer Anna October brought some welcome oomph with an edit of slinky, lingerie-inspired eveningwear. Nassirzadeh’s capsule heralds a new era, one in which the retailer is not only unafraid of, but embracing sexiness: “It’s about showing skin,” she says. “The transparencies.”

The near nascence of the capsule was a conversation with Gayot, in which the VP of women’s design termed Nassirzadeh as a ‘summer girl.’ Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nassirzadeh seems to see her fellow summer girls as the collection’s target audience. “Now I’m wearing what I call ‘jewelry clothes,’” she says. “I’m playing with color again. I’m mixing textures, I’m mixing prints. I’m falling in love with dressing all over again, and I’m realizing that it is because of my roots, my DNA as a ‘summer girl.’ A ‘summer girl’ is about ease. There’s a playfulness, a spontaneity, and a bit more boldness.”