J.Crew Group CEO Libby Wadle and L’Agence CEO Jonathan Saven described different approaches to a shared challenge: keeping their brands visible, evolving and engaging for customers. Speaking at the WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit, both executives emphasized putting the customer at the center of decisions across their businesses.

Saven said L’Agence has built an internal culture that prioritizes the brand and its customers as the company moves from a wholesale-focused model toward more direct relationships with shoppers. That focus, he said, extends from product development and management to the teams representing the brand in stores.

For J.Crew, bringing the brand to life means drawing on what customers already value while finding fresh ways to express it. Wadle pointed to the company’s reputation for cashmere and its emphasis on quality and color. At its Spring Street store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, J.Crew recently staged a “cashmere candy shop,” pairing brightly colored knitwear with candy tins and complimentary cotton candy.

Wadle said the concept suited J.Crew’s associations with optimism, fun and vivid color. She also highlighted the company’s three-year partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, which began in early 2025. The collaboration connects the brand with ski culture and the après-ski imagery long featured in its catalogues and lifestyle merchandising.

Social media is another way J.Crew presents its identity, Wadle said. The company’s “Camp Crew” campaign last summer was designed primarily for social platforms and drew strong engagement. She said campaigns that invite people to imagine being part of an experience can resonate more than product photography alone.

J.Crew is also emphasizing signature pieces such as its rollneck sweater and barn jacket. Wadle described the brand’s icons as products with lasting appeal across generations, and said focusing on strong merchandise and brand identity matters in a competitive market. She added that J.Crew and Madewell look for opportunities to make distinctive appearances during the fall in New York, when brands are especially active.

L’Agence has been pursuing a more international presence. The Los Angeles-based label presented its spring 2027 collection in Paris in early October, a move Saven said helped introduce the brand to new buyers, influencers and other audiences. The company is looking to expand in Europe and the Middle East and plans to enter Asia through South Korea.

A 1,500-square-foot L’Agence space has opened inside Printemps in Paris, giving the brand a new retail presence in the city after it closed its former Marais store and showroom. The company is also seeking a flagship location on Rue Saint-Honoré. Saven described Paris as important for distribution and visibility, alongside London and the Middle East. L’Agence has a wholesale presence across Europe, including in about 80 stores in Italy.

Saven said the brand has increased its efforts to represent itself consistently in retail settings, including through store environments, fixtures and staff working with retail partners. He also stressed the need for a unified marketing message across wholesale, direct sales, physical retail and e-commerce.

While product remains central, Saven said encouraging repeat visits depends on building a relationship with customers and understanding their interests. That trust, he added, can help when a brand introduces new categories, but it must be supported by the product’s quality, value and style. The Paris presentation, he said, created opportunities for L’Agence to establish new relationships with an international audience.

Sources: WWD.