Olympia Gayot, J.Crew’s creative director since 2021, might just be fashion’s most stylish DM slider. While most of us scroll Instagram for inspiration or entertainment, Gayot scrolls with intent—and with a vision. That’s exactly how she stumbled upon her latest muse: British jewelry label Alighieri. With its sea-soaked symbolism and mythic charm, Alighieri isn’t just a jewelry brand—it’s a vibe. And for Gayot, it was a perfect match for J.Crew’s revitalized coastal-core spirit.
Since taking the creative helm, Gayot has led a quiet revolution at the American heritage brand. She’s recaptured the magic of its ‘90s heyday by breathing new life into its catalog-style storytelling, embracing its preppy DNA, and—perhaps most notably—curating a new kind of creative partnership. One that feels less like a marketing gimmick and more like a genuine artistic exchange.
The Art of the Thoughtful Collaboration
Gayot’s collaboration playbook is personal. She chooses partners she admires, often brands she already wears or follows, trusting that her instincts as a designer will resonate with the J.Crew customer. “If there’s a brand I’ve worn forever, usually the customer will like it as well,” she told Refinery29. That intuition is proving to be spot-on.
The recent launch of Alighieri x J.Crew on May 13 is a case in point. The collection includes poetic pieces like recycled bronze necklaces with fish motifs—Alighieri’s signature—and classic J.Crew staples with an elevated twist, such as a linen shirt adorned with gleaming gold buttons. “[Founder] Rosh Mahtani’s pieces are refined, but they’re also quirky and weird,” Gayot explains. “J.Crew is a coastal brand. Summers for us are about being on the water.” The result? A capsule that feels like sun-drenched treasure—equal parts wearable and whimsical.
Mahtani herself describes the collection as a kit for navigating “the high seas of life,” ideal for tossing into a weekender bag en route to a summer escape. It’s fashion designed for storytelling, not trend-chasing.
More Than a Merch Collab
This isn’t your typical high-low designer mash-up. Gayot isn’t interested in slapping a logo on a tote or turning luxury into disposable fast fashion. She remembers queuing up for the 2005 Stella McCartney x H&M drop—an early collab that made runway fashion feel accessible. But what she’s building at J.Crew goes beyond hype.
“We’re not just taking their products and doing a cheaper version,” she explains. “We’re actually integrating the brand identities and the codes.”
From working with artist Katherine Bernhardt to designers like Christopher John Rogers, Marie Marot, and Anna October, the collaborations under Gayot’s tenure feel layered and intentional. There’s a connective thread between the J.Crew world and the collaborators it invites in—an aesthetic overlap that makes the partnership feel natural rather than forced.
Cutting Through the Noise
In an era where collaborations can feel more like cash grabs than creative endeavors (Forever 21 x Cheetos, anyone?), Gayot’s method offers a refreshing counterpoint. DJ and influencer Amrit Tietz, who’s worked with J.Crew, sums it up: “In my experience, the quality is much higher and less of a diluted version [of the partner brand].”
While brands often use collabs as a shortcut to buzz, that approach can result in short-lived attention and forgettable products. Gayot’s vision is slower, more deliberate. J.Crew isn’t chasing viral moments—it’s cultivating cultural resonance. These are long-game partnerships that build brand equity, not just social engagement.
Creating Space for Emerging Designers
That ethos extends to how J.Crew works with small and independent labels. Designer Araks Yeramyan, who collaborated with the brand on a lingerie line, saw it as an opportunity to scale her ideas in a way that would have been impossible solo. “It was something I couldn’t do on my own at the quantity and level that I wanted,” she says.
The results? Luxurious pieces like silk bras and crepe de chine slips that sit just a touch above J.Crew’s usual price point, but feel perfectly aligned with the brand’s refreshed identity.
Gayot is committed to spotlighting emerging talent and using J.Crew’s platform to elevate their work—without compromising either brand’s core values. “There are so many great young brands with a unique point of view doing it all themselves,” she says. “When you see that people have less and they’re managing to create something so pointed and so beautiful… that to me is inspiring.”
Sliding Into the Future
For designers grinding away on their passion projects, Gayot might be the fairy godmother they didn’t know they needed. Her DMs are open, her instincts are sharp, and her goal is clear: to bring J.Crew into the now—authentically, collaboratively, and with style.
Under her watch, J.Crew isn’t just selling clothes. It’s building bridges—between heritage and innovation, between legacy brands and indie darlings, between coastal classics and global artistry. And it’s doing so one meaningful collaboration at a time.
