On Thursday night, the New York Public Library’s astounding literary collection was supplemented with archival J.Crew memorabilia as the brand took over the space to celebrate the relaunch of the brand’s beloved catalog and fall campaign.
Ascending the Fifth Avenue stairs, strewn with glowing candles, guests were immediately recognizable by their J.Crew outfits—textured satin and lace trim being the stars of the evening. Inside, the brand’s archives were on full display, transporting guests decades back via vintage brand tags, early aughts polaroid stills, and fabric swatches from collections past. Heels and loafers click-clacked on the marble floor, their owners sipping Shirley Temples and champagne while admiring the tangible fashion phenomena to stand the test of time.
The evening was rooted in nostalgia, Libby Wadle, CEO of J.Crew noted, toasting the rebirth of the J.Crew catalog (after seven long years of its halt); “We are in the most incredible setting that appreciates, like J.Crew, the power of print,” she shared. “I remember in college calling the number and taking my dog-eared catalog to order my Barn Jacket and my Roll Neck Sweater, and eagerly waiting for the delivery to show up at my Boston dorm room.” Wadle encouraged guests to reminisce about their own catalog core memories.
So, in true fashion of giving old traditions new life, for one night only, J.Crew resurrected the legendary NYC restaurant, La Côte Basque, with Chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr. Petite baguettes in paper bags acted as table settings, sitting alongside personal branded J.Crew butter jars. (At the long tables intimately lit with shade lamps, guests enjoyed Caviar service, chilled lobster, and a roast chicken.
Underscoring the night was a ten-piece jazz band crooning classics like “The Way You Look Tonight,” giving way to Tony Award-winning actor Anika Noni Rose, who took the stage to serenade the crowd. After holding a ridiculously powerful belt at the end of Sondheim’s “Somewhere,” Rose received a standing ovation.
Guests included Sarah Paulson, Riley Keough, Laura Harrier, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Saarsagard, and Ella Beatty (who, of course, was cast in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, which ran like an ode to La Côte Basque) along with J.Crew fans BJ Novak, Bowen Yang, and J.Crew executives Libby Wadle, Brendon Babenzien, Olympia Gayot and Kevin Ulrich. All enjoyed the sea of friends, who looked like they stepped right off the pages of the catalog into real life.
Upon exiting the long historic hall, guests received their own prized 2024 catalog featuring Demi Moore on the cover and a limited edition Fall 2024 T-shirt reading “The New Yorkers” because, in New York City, everyone gets to be part of the Crew.