Dive Brief:
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Madewell launches its first menswear collection today, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive. The new brand, which has been in development for two years, features denim, t-shirts and jackets, and costs between $39.50 and $128.00.
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Shoppers can find the collection at Madewell.com/Mens, as well as Nordstrom.com and at 31 participating Nordstrom locations — making the department store retailer the "exclusive partner for in-store experience." The company is also debuting the collection with a Brooklyn pop-up that will be open from Sept. 14 to Sept. 16, where New York customers can shop in person.
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The announcement comes not long after J. Crew expanded sizing at Madewell and is the latest in a series of new ventures by parent company J. Crew.
Dive Insight:
Madewell's expansion into menswear is the latest in a series of tactical decisions by its parent company, J. Crew. The Madewell brand has long been the money-making arm of the business, with reported record sales growth in stores and online in Q4.
J. Crew's Chief Operating Officer, Mike Nicholson, said this past spring that the success of increased sales within Madewell was "led by our denim business," so it's not a surprise that the new menswear line delivers on denim options. Shoppers of the new menswear line will be able to pick between 21 denim products in three different fits, the company said.
J. Crew made moves this year to deal with its mounting debt by embarking on an extensive restructuring plan that slashed the value of $567 million in bonds in half. The company is also going through a repositioning of its brand by extending product sizes, placing its Mercantile line on Amazon and launching J. Crew Marketplace.
The expansion of Madewell into menswear also displays a confidence in that brand's growth and could signal further investments from the parent company in the younger company.
