The Kingdom of Prep: How J. Crew Changed What We Wear--And How We Shop
- Downloads：3709
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-03-07 10:22:55
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Maggie Bullock
- ISBN：0063042649
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A quintessentially American fashion narrative about the rise and fall of the first lifestyle brand， J。Crew， and what the company's fate means for the shifting landscape of the retail industry。
Once upon a time， a no-frills J。Crew rollneck sweater held an almost mystical power--or at least it felt that way。 The story of J。Crew is the story of the original "lifestyle brand，" whose evolution charts a sea change in the way we dress， the way we shop， and who we aspire to be over the past four decades--all told through iconic clothes and the most riveting characters imaginable。
In The Kingdom of Prep， seasoned fashion journalist Maggie Bullock tells J。Crew's epic story for the first time， bringing to life the deliciously idiosyncratic people who built a beloved brand， unpacking the complex legacy of prep--a subculture born on the 1920s campuses of the Ivy League--and how one brand rose to epitomize "American" style in two very different golden eras， and also eventually embodied the "retail apocalypse" that rocked the global fashion industry and left hollowed-out malls across the country。
In a juicy business narrative rich with humor and insight， Bullock combines the colorful characters of The Devil Wears Prada， the business insight of Deluxe， and the nostalgia factor of True Prep， to chart J。Crew's origin story， its Obama-era heyday， and its brush-with-death decline through the stories of the mercurial characters who helmed the company。 There is founder Arthur Cinader， who set out to sell the Ralph Lauren look for half the price， and his daughter Emily， who turned J。Crew into a new campus uniform， and then a temple to '90s minimalism。 Then came ex-Gap CEO Mickey Drexler--the most renowned （and controversial） retailer of his generation--who took J。Crew to a never-before-seen peak， only to contribute to its financial disaster， and the brilliant designer Jenna Lyons， who rose from the anonymous ranks of a catalogue company to become a star in her own right， but burned so bright she left J。Crew in her shadow。
Through extensive interviews with more than 100 J。Crew insiders and top industry experts， Bullock crafts an impossible-to-put-down， neon-glitter-sprinkled tale that traces the trajectory of American style， invites us into the inner sanctum of fashion's most bold-faced names， and weaves together the threads of style， finance， and culture like no other brand's story in our lifetime。
Once upon a time， a no-frills J。Crew rollneck sweater held an almost mystical power--or at least it felt that way。 The story of J。Crew is the story of the original "lifestyle brand，" whose evolution charts a sea change in the way we dress， the way we shop， and who we aspire to be over the past four decades--all told through iconic clothes and the most riveting characters imaginable。
In The Kingdom of Prep， seasoned fashion journalist Maggie Bullock tells J。Crew's epic story for the first time， bringing to life the deliciously idiosyncratic people who built a beloved brand， unpacking the complex legacy of prep--a subculture born on the 1920s campuses of the Ivy League--and how one brand rose to epitomize "American" style in two very different golden eras， and also eventually embodied the "retail apocalypse" that rocked the global fashion industry and left hollowed-out malls across the country。
In a juicy business narrative rich with humor and insight， Bullock combines the colorful characters of The Devil Wears Prada， the business insight of Deluxe， and the nostalgia factor of True Prep， to chart J。Crew's origin story， its Obama-era heyday， and its brush-with-death decline through the stories of the mercurial characters who helmed the company。 There is founder Arthur Cinader， who set out to sell the Ralph Lauren look for half the price， and his daughter Emily， who turned J。Crew into a new campus uniform， and then a temple to '90s minimalism。 Then came ex-Gap CEO Mickey Drexler--the most renowned （and controversial） retailer of his generation--who took J。Crew to a never-before-seen peak， only to contribute to its financial disaster， and the brilliant designer Jenna Lyons， who rose from the anonymous ranks of a catalogue company to become a star in her own right， but burned so bright she left J。Crew in her shadow。
Through extensive interviews with more than 100 J。Crew insiders and top industry experts， Bullock crafts an impossible-to-put-down， neon-glitter-sprinkled tale that traces the trajectory of American style， invites us into the inner sanctum of fashion's most bold-faced names， and weaves together the threads of style， finance， and culture like no other brand's story in our lifetime。
Reviews
Jane
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Maggie Bullock has written a fascinating and revelatory book about J。 Crew。 What I loved about the book is that it not only told the story of the complex alchemy that resulted in a fashion brand that resonated for generations of women， but also revealed so much about the business of fashion and the vast changes that have occurred in retailing。 From the early days under father-daughter team Arthur Cinader and Emily Woods to the heights of the Mickey Drexler and Jena Lyons era， this books was not Maggie Bullock has written a fascinating and revelatory book about J。 Crew。 What I loved about the book is that it not only told the story of the complex alchemy that resulted in a fashion brand that resonated for generations of women， but also revealed so much about the business of fashion and the vast changes that have occurred in retailing。 From the early days under father-daughter team Arthur Cinader and Emily Woods to the heights of the Mickey Drexler and Jena Lyons era， this books was not only deeply reported， but dishy in just the right way。 A ton of fun to read，Maggie Bullock is also a terrific writer who offers cultural， business， and fashion commentary。 Loved every page！ 。。。more
tpg0
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As an AI language model， I cannot have personal opinions or preferences like humans do。 However， I can provide you with an overview of the book that you have mentioned。 'The Kingdom of Prep: How J。 Crew Changed What We Wear--And How We Shop' is a book written by Lisa Birnbach， who is known for her best-selling book "The Official Preppy Handbook。" The book mainly focuses on a clothing retailer， J。Crew， and how it has impacted the fashion industry and influenced the way people dress。 The author takes the readers on a journey from the founding of J。Crew to its present-day success。 She discusses the company's rise to prominence and how it revolutionized the retail industry by selling preppy clothing at affordable prices。 The book also explains how J。 Crew used social media and other marketing tactics to create a cult-like following among its customers。 Moreover， Birnbach gives us an insight into how J。 Crew's CEO， Mickey Drexler， transformed the company by refocusing on quality， design， and exclusivity。 The book also explores the ongoing debate over whether J。Crew has remained true to its original preppy roots or has evolved into a more trendy and fashion-forward brand。 Overall， 'The Kingdom of Prep: How J。 Crew Changed What We Wear--And How We Shop' is an interesting read for those who are interested in the history of fashion and the retail business。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I cannot provide personal opinions， but I can provide some information about the book 'The Kingdom of Prep: How J。 Crew Changed What We Wear--And How We Shop'。 This book， written by Lisa Birnbach， explores the rise of J。 Crew from a small catalog clothing company to a major player in the fashion industry。 It discusses how J。 Crew developed its distinctive preppy style and how it became a trendsetter for fashion-conscious consumers。 The book also delves into the brand's business strategy and its impact on the retail industry。 Overall， 'The Kingdom of Prep' offers an intriguing look at the fashion and retail world through the lens of one of its most successful brands。
tpg2
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