Jenna Lyons Is Leaving J.Crew

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published 3 April 2017

Gather your shiny ponies close, dear friends—after 26 years with the company, Jenna Lyons is exiting J.Crew.

"Jenna and I got together and we both agreed it was time for a change," chief executive Mickey Drexler said in an interview with Business of Fashion. "That being said, she's got plans to do other things. It's been a great run. There's a lot of mutual respect between Jenna and me."

"It has been beyond my wildest dreams to work with such an amazing team of people at such an incredible brand and alongside Mickey—one of retail's most talented visionaries," said the woman who made stripes a neutral and weathered Nail Polish-gate. "I am excited about the next chapter for J.Crew as well as the opportunity for other creative leaders within the organization to step up and take on new responsibilities. Having spent the better part of my life with J.Crew, I feel an immense pride and love for everyone at the company."

For customers, Lyons' departure won't mean an end to the pencil skirts and embellished button-downs, as women's head of design Somsack Sikhounmuong, who's been with the retailer since 2001, will be promoted to chief design officer. And wherever she ends up next, we can be sure Lyons' madcap dress sense, left-and-right-brain smarts, and her reputation for being one of the nicest people in the biz go right along with her.

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Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.

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