Should J. Crew, the retail chain long devoted to preppy clothing, be sexy?
Olympia Gayot, the creative director and head of design for the company’s women’s line, doesn’t see why not.
“I mean, the brand is multidimensional and multigenerational,” Ms. Gayot said, “but sexy is definitely a part of it. We have things in the line like spaghetti straps and sheer beach dresses, but what’s great about these collaborations is you can go a step further. It really is the aesthetic she embodies.”
“She” is Maryam Nassirzadeh, a downtown New York designer whose following is often described as “cultish,” and to whom Ms. Gayot proposed a collaboration last summer.
Ms. Nassirzadeh’s brand, called Maryam Nassir Zadeh, is sunny and sheer, unpolished and unbothered. Her Instagram is largely devoted to her breezy outfits and bohemian vacations. Her runway shows are social gatherings for New York’s too-cool-to-care creative class, though she hasn’t held a show in about two years.
Until now, MNZ had never been part of a collaboration, which has become a pivotal aspect of business for other independent brands. For J. Crew, she designed a capsule collection of 30 pieces in a mix of existing MNZ and new silhouettes: bikini tops and short-sleeve cropped cardigans and cotton tees, all in light or diaphanous fabrics.
On a recent two-week vacation to Rome and the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily, Ms. Gayot said she packed the capsule in a carry-on suitcase.
“I rolled everything up,” she said. “When I unrolled it, it was kind of wrinkled, but it looked beautiful because it was wrinkled.”
The MNZ brand may be niche and personal — Ms. Nassirzadeh’s colors, for example, are inspired by her favorite pink lipstick and a blue Charvet shirt she wears on airplanes — but it almost instantly resonated with J. Crew’s shoppers. Best sellers, including slipdresses (one in black chiffon, embellished with sequined swirls) and midi-skirts (with a removable lining, for optional sensuality), sold out in several sizes.
In the edited conversation below, Ms. Nassirzadeh explained how her work with J. Crew came together.
Since this is your first collaboration, what made you say yes?
The industry has changed so much. The last few years have made me think about things like: Would I want an investor? Do I still want to make clean clothes? Do I want to make more high-end clothes? There’s still so much that I want to do. I think people have been influenced by my designs for years, but I’ve never really consulted or collaborated.
This happened organically. I didn’t plan it. There’s this saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
What do you mean by “clean clothes,” exactly?
I mean minimal, classic, beautiful shapes. I always have had the sensibility of clean timelessness.
Do you miss putting on runway shows? I get the sense that some people in the New York fashion community miss attending your runway shows.
I don’t necessarily miss it. It requires a lot from my team. I was thinking of having a show this fall, but I’m relieved that I’m not. I’ve been so in the moment — so organized and balanced lately. If I was going to do a show, it would crank up the intensity. I don’t feel like I need that. I’ll just know when the timing is right.
For this collection with J. Crew, what was on the mood board?
Olympia and I met intimately for the first time about a year ago, and it was love at first sight. We’re both Geminis. We connected so much about family, about values, about design. She had the idea of the capsule. She was like, “You’re such a summer girl.”
I had just been in the south of Rome, on the coast, at this beautiful, simple hotel that inspired me — it was quiet and rustic and very clean with the colors — and I spent a lot of time in Bodrum, in this really small village.
On the mood board, it’s always about transparencies. I love water and colors and crystals and things that are just sort of transparent and layered. I love light clothing. I love clothing that’s vintage, that has a delicacy to it.
What does it mean to be a “summer girl,” as you and Olympia put it?
I started dressing so casually post-Covid. I loved Brandy Melville sweats, and we did these very easy dance pants. But now I’m wearing what I call “jewelry clothes.” 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.
Is it sexy?
Yes, 100 percent. It’s about showing skin — the transparencies. The bikini top with the ruffle, that’s one of my old pieces from 2015. Yesterday I was at the store, trying on some looks for our launch party, and I tied the tie so it cinched in the middle, to make it sexier.
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