Dive Brief:
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J.Crew Group on Tuesday announced the appointment of apparel retail veteran Adrienne Lazarus as president of its Madewell brand, effective next month.
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Most recently Lazarus was co-CEO of DTC intimates brand Cuup, which was acquired by FullBeauty Brands last month, and a senior adviser at consulting firm McKinsey & Company. She has also held leadership roles at Intermix (previously owned by Gap Inc.), Ann Taylor, Bandier and Frye.
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Lazarus will oversee the Madewell business and all brand functions, and report to J. Crew Group CEO Libby Wadle, per J. Crew’s press release.
Dive Insight:
Wadle maintained oversight of the Madewell business when she was promoted to lead the J. Crew Group three years ago, and the brand has grown under her direction. A J. Crew veteran, she first took the reins at Madewell four years ago, becoming its first CEO, after serving as president.
Now the torch passes to Lazarus, who said in a statement that she is “energized by the clear potential for growth and honored to join Libby and the highly talented Madewell team in unlocking value and ushering the brand into its next era.”
In her own statement Tuesday, Wadle praised Lazarus’ “strategic approach, entrepreneurial spirit, and proven track record.”
“Adrienne’s exceptional leadership skills, creativity, and passion for building relevant, customer-centric and purpose-driven brands will be a great asset to our team as Madewell continues to scale,” she said.
The brand has been especially focused on expanding its men’s business, opening another stand-alone men’s store in Washington D.C. earlier this year. Around the same time J. Crew Group’s corporate operations resorted to layoffs in a quest for efficiency.
Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of Retail Strategy Group, called Lazarus’ appointment “a smart hire” and noted the potential for making the brand more sustainable, if Lazarus institutes needed change.
“She has an extensive apparel background across many categories including denim,” she said by email. “In the last few years, Madewell has made positive strides towards circularity. It’s now time to rethink their merchandising strategy and optimize their assortment. Reducing overdevelopment, excess inventory and marked down activity should be a priority for all brands today. You can only do this by bringing in new ideas and innovating process. Adrienne could drive this strategy and increase profitability for the brand while keeping in line with Madewell’s push towards circularity.”
