ShopDiary

Madewell, J. Crew’s Edgier Little Sister

Retailers currently seem to follow the old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” We have recently seen the emergence of new stores from established retailers with a distinct image from its parent brand. If Neiman has Cusp and Gap has Forth & Towne, then J. Crew has Madewell.

J. Crew recently launched Madewell, a lower priced casual store chain for women, in Dallas and is set to open its first West Coast store on Monday in Century City. The differentiation between brands is clear: If J. Crew is preppy, Madewell is edgy. If J. Crew is classic, Madewell is modern.

From Los Angeles Times:

Madewell also features some exciting collaborations with Brazil’s Havaianas for flip flops, France’s Spring Court for Converse-like tennis shoes and New York based Philip Crangi, known for his medieval meets Victorian jewelry.

For those unable to visit the two locations, Madewell1937.com has several looks available for purchase through an 800 number.

I personally like the Eliot Plaid Babydoll Dress in the middle photo above but it’s already sold out online. I guess I’ll just have to check out the store myself, shouldn’t I?

Locations:

• Century City Shopping Center 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Space 98 Los Angeles, CA 90067 (310) 772-0428
• NorthPark Center 8687 North Central Expressway, Space 2124 Dallas, TX 75225 (214) 363-5414

Sources 1 and 2