PLEASE TO MEET - FRANK MUYTJENS

Frank Muytjens gewed up in a small village in Holland and moved in 1994 to New York.

In 2008 he followed Todd Snyder up as head of design for J.Crew and continued to

popularize the urban-outdoorsman look that helped define the early aughts—dark jeans, plaid shirt, heavy boots—a look that was popular with hipsters in big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Portland. The company also brought on third-party collaborations to round out its in-house products, aligning itself more with popular boutique shopping, now an industry standard. Additionally, J.Crew helped introduce suiting to a new generation of dapper guys who wanted tailoring that was slim, not bulky, and its Ludlow suit is, in many ways, the suit of the 2000s so far.

Frank is know for his keen eye of combining workwear with preppy staples and formal wear. You can't leave the house with something blue.

After working for almost 10 years as head of design for J.Crew, Frank Muytjens left the company. Closing one door makes sure another one will open. We look forward what will be next Frank!

J.CREW SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Already synonymous with classic, a word used generously by men’s designer Frank Muytjens at his presentation today, J.Crew reached a new level of American classicism for Spring. 

A nature-lover and country-living enthusiast, Muytjens is forever roaming atmospheric American landscapes in search of authentic Americana, whether a preppy enclave like Martha’s Vineyard or the grand vistas of Yellowstone National Park. Last season he was taken with the pastoral patina of a trove of old horse blankets he discovered. This season he found inspiration in the photographs of Mike Disfarmer, whose engaging portraits of rural Arkansans in the early 20th century are about as classic as it gets.

A lot of the offerings resulted from looking at archival pieces, Muytjens said, but from a new perspective. As it turns out, and this has no doubt been true throughout history, it takes quite an effort to achieve effortlessness. “You should see our rooftop,” he laughed, referring to his team’s experiments in sun-bleaching that informed a nicely faded pink crewneck sweater. Although, it was an extra-thick cable-knit cardigan next to it that stole the sweater show.

WALLACE & BARNES INSPIRATION

Archival staples: vintage fabric swatches and old-fashioned

sewing needles

Tools from another time: vintage tape measures and tailors'

rulers, the standard-bearer for precisely measured fabric and

pattern arrangements

Snapshots of the past: a pocket album (circa 1975) of classic

black and white photographs of New York City

Relics of a by-gone era: inspirational typography, taken from

old hotel laundry service tags

A homage to history 

The perfect patina: timeworn (and well-used)

 workbench clamps

Heirloom quality: antique tools and trimmings from the trade

J.Crew introducing Wallace & Barnes, a collection for men inspired by the traditional workwear, old military uniforms and classic outdoor gears. A few years back Frank Muytjens, head of J.Crew men's design team, was rummaging around an old antique shop upstate New York, where he stumbled upon a shoebox full of photos. When flipping through them, he came across a snapshot of two men fishing. Written on the back was only this: Wallace and Barnes, 1928 and a name was born. Click here for the collection of Wallace & Barnes.

"FASHION IS ART"

I don't know whether Frank Muytjens, J. Crew's Mens Designer is an art lover, but it looks that Pablo Picasso could easily stand next to the J.Crew's spring/summer 2011 model. 

FRANK MUYTJENS FOR J.CREW FALL 10

Frank Muytjens

J.Crew: Frank Muytjens

Took the reins: 2008, New York

The aesthetic: When Muytjens took over J.Crew two years ago, the clothes were almost comically preppy. So he threw out the clownish colors, tailored the fit, and introduced a military edge.

Early days: "I went to an arts academy in Holland before coming to New York, where I worked at Ralph Lauren before coming to J.Crew."

 

What I wore as a kid: "Levi's 501s. All the time."

Going boutique: "When J.Crew opened the Liquor Store men's shop in Tribeca in 2008, it was the perfect showcase for other stuff all the guys on the design team wore. We brought in Baracuta, Levi's, Ray-Ban, Selima, Thomas Mason, Timex. It was our way of filling voids in a guy's wardrobe with the labels that do it best.

Place that inspires me: "Big Sur. Edward Weston took a lot of photographs there; Jack Kerouac stayed there and wrote Big Sur."

Time that inspires me: "1980s London. I still listen to the Smiths, and there were magazines like The Face, Blitz, Arena, and i-D, with all the street pictures. To me, that was The Sartorialist in the '80s." (text from GQ.com site)