J.Crew announced on Thursday a three-year partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, becoming the organization’s official lifestyle-apparel partner.
Libby Wadle, CEO of J.Crew Group; Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard; and Kevin Ulrich, J.Crew Group chairman of the board. – Courtesy of J.Crew.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the nonprofit Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Body for skiing and snowboarding, oversees 10 national teams across disciplines such as alpine, cross country, freeskiing, snowboarding, Para alpine, and Para snowboarding.
As part of the collaboration, J.Crew will introduce winter collections featuring signature categories reimagined through an aspirational ski lens. The designs draw inspiration from vintage ski logos and archival Olympic patches, including sweaters, loungewear, and cold-weather accessories for women, men, and kids.
J.Crew will officially launch the partnership at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, on March 25, unveiling its first on-the-ground experiences.
“J.Crew has a long-standing connection to alpine culture, and we are thrilled to build on that legacy through our partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard,” said Libby Wadle, CEO of J.Crew Group.
“With competitive snow sports continuing to grow in the American consciousness, we are proud to celebrate and share the inspiring stories of its athletes—both on and off the mountain—as they prepare for the Olympics next year. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for J.Crew, and we look forward to bringing it to life.”
The first-of-its-kind collaboration reinforces the brand’s relationship between sports and leisure, a theme deeply embedded in its storytelling over the decades.
“This marks an exciting expansion into the fashion and style space for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. We’re thrilled to partner with J.Crew, an iconic American brand that embodies timeless style and adventure,” added Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
“This collaboration celebrates the spirit of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, blending sports lifestyle and fashion in a way that will inspire athletes and fans alike.”
M&S Gemini, on Warrington’s Europa Boulevard, has reopened following a major 10-month makeover “to cater to a wider range of customer shopping missions”.
Reuters
Featuring a refreshed Cothing and Hsome area and enhanced Beuty department, the timely reopening features the brand’s SS25 collections across womenswear, menswear and kidswear. There are also neon-lit areas to spotlight “M&S customer-favourite collections” including Per Una and Autograph and Jaeger.
Third-party brand offers also include a dedicated Mamas & Papa’s section adjacent to kidswear while other highlights include an improved M&S Footwear selection with a spacious try-on area, plus in-store bra- and suit-fitting services.
The expanded Beauty department is home to all M&S’s third-party and own brands, including the Apothecary collection, while showcasing a range of Clinique, Benefit Cosmetics and Estée Lauder fragrance products.
Dedicated Beauty Advisors are on hand while there’s colleague support to offer styling advice, and a new option that allows customers to skip the queues and pay straight away in its store fitting rooms. The Click and Collect service is also available on all its online Clothing, Home and Beauty orders.
Influencer Vogue Williams has launched a new kidswear line called Gen with M&S and Next becoming the first online platforms to bring the unisex childrenswear concept to market.
The line, which “reimagines childrenswear” has a focus on “versatility, durability, and timeless design”, we’re told.
Williams curated the pieces and said the launch responds to the growing demand for longer-lasting fashion.The result is a “unique, high-quality range that allows customers to shop freely without the constraints of traditional gendered clothing”.
The age 2-8 collection of essentials includes coats, waterproof onesies, dungarees and short-and-T-shirt sets, boldly coloured with pops of neon and fun prints, while “breaking the traditional boundaries of gendered clothing”. Prices range from £10-£34.
Each piece can be personalised with patches and features a unique ‘Wear Me, Love Me, Pass Me On’ label, “encouraging a culture of sharing and customiaation that makes each garment cherished keepsake while promoting the joy of passing on well-loved pieces”.
Williams said: “Finding high-quality, super-cute clothes for kids that actually last is not easy. I really feel like the Gen range hits all those needs. Kids… get to customise their own piece, whether it’s the first or third child along the line.”
It’s produced by Poeticgem Group and marketed via its subsidiary Luminoso Brands. Gavin Foster, managing director of the latter, said: “Vogue’s styling, vision and authentic voice has been key to the success in securing these fantastic retail partners and we look forward to forging a long term partnership with all parties.”
Italian eyewear group Marcolin has improved its profitability in the course of fiscal 2024. The group’s financial results, approved this week by the board of directors, showed adjusted EBITDA at €85 million, a 10.2% rise over fiscal 2023. The EBITDA margin on net sales also improved, growing to 15.6% compared to 13.8% in the previous year.
Marcolin – Ansa
Revenue was €545.8 million, down 2.2% at current exchange rates compared to revenue in fiscal 2023. In like-for-like terms, excluding the positive and negative impacts of the new licenses signed up in 2024 and discontinued ones, revenue increased by 1.7%.
On LinkedIn, Marcolin said that “during the year, alongside important licence renewals, Marcolin secured new exclusive agreements, and continued the commercial integration of the new house brand ic! berlin into the group.”
The company makes eyewear for Tom Ford, Adidas, Guess, Max Mara, Pucci, Zegna, Skechers, and Abercrombie & Fitch, among others.