J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler To All Of Us: “Email Me!”

Over the weekend, J.Crew sent out an email blast to customers with a note from its CEO, Mickey Drexler. The main takeaway wasn't quite what you'd expect from the powerhouse head honcho of a major brand. Drexler urged customers to email him personally with unfiltered feedback about J.Crew these days, both IRL in its brick-and-mortar stores as well as online, according to Racked. His invitation to get frank (and go straight to the top with candid input) was spurred, apparently, by a J.Crew shopper who recently told Drexler that the J.Crew she once loved has returned, and Drexler now wants the rest of us to weigh in. (Drexler also made things feel quite chummy in the message, divulging that the Americano is his go-to coffee order, and sharing what's on his gym playlist, for example.) The retailer's turn from somewhat blah basics to trendier fare has been met with mixed results. Fashion editors (and a segment of the brand's customer base) dig the more directional, trend-driven shift, but many haven't been too jazzed about the new J.Crew. Look no further than this longtime customer's open letter (standalone website, really) to Drexler about how to fix J.Crew, for evidence of the latter. The brand's albeit moderate risk-taking on the design front hasn't been reflected too favorably at the register. J.Crew's sales were down 5% in the fourth quarter of 2015, following double-digit losses in the preceding first three quarters (and a rough 2014). Drexler included his (supposed) direct email address, msd@jcrew.com. That doesn't quite match the brand's typical email format, at least the format its PR reps have, so it's likely an account created solely for this outpouring of customer input. Though who knows: Drexler's the big boss, so he can have any email format he desires, we'd assume. So, if the redux of the circa-2001 tankini isn't enough of a return to the J.Crew of the past, now you've got a direct conduit to the guy in charge. Elastic-strap wedge flip-flops from the early aughts, anyone?