A literary feast wasn’t the main attraction at the New York Public Library last Thursday evening.
Ushering in the start of New York Fashion Week, J.Crew took over the space to celebrate the return of their once iconic fall catalog, which relaunched with four nostalgic covers earlier this week. The dinner party, hosted by the brand within the library’s grandiose backdrop, paid homage to the catalog’s rich history and provided previews of a new era of J.Crew, which went under the guidance of Creative Director Olympia Gayot in 2020.
Spotted amongst the star-studded crowd were actors Sarah Paulson, Riley Keough, Laura Harrier, BJ Novak, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Peter Sarsgaard. Also in the fray were artist Ella Emhoff, comedian Bowen Yang, editor Zanna Roberts Rassi, and stylists Danielle Goldberg and Karla Welch.
For one night only, attendees saw the library transformed into a recreation of legendary Manhattan eatery La Côte Basque, once frequented by the likes of Truman Capote, Jackie Kennedy, and the Duchess of Windsor. The dinner, which opened with a slate of cocktails, was accompanied by a six-piece jazz band and a special performance by Tony Award–winning actor and singer Anika Noni Rose.
This is the third year in a row that J.Crew has had the coveted pleasure of helping kick off one of the most anticipated weeks in fashion. The momentum matches the brand's recent renaissance, with sales this year approaching a record $3 billion. As guests trickled out of the festivities—donning a rotation of tailored blue jeans and denim jackets—it’s undeniable that they belong to the Crew, one of the fastest growing in America's fashion capital.
