J. Crew & the Man Who Dressed America

About the Show

With more than 300 stores, nearly $2 billion in sales and even the First Lady as a fan, J.Crew has transformed from a once-flailing, lackluster brand to a fashion force. Leading J.Crew is CEO Millard "Mickey" Drexler, known for his intuitive sense of what the public craves and his ability to lift troubled companies to new heights. Since taking over J.Crew in 2003, Drexler has successfully introduced designer quality clothing for the masses — driving the company's revenues up 170 percent.

From New York to Italy, anchor David Faber explores the process of conceiving, creating and marketing a new line of clothing. How will J.Crew meet the twin challenges of expansion and a rapidly changing landscape in the Internet age of retail? CNBC takes you inside this growing retailer and explains what's made the stylish, contemporary brand a success.

Web Extras

  • By: Rita Warkov, CNBC Production Associate

    How J. Crew’s CEO Mickey Drexler contributed to Apple's retail store concept.

  • Quoddy's headquarters

    Names like J.Crew and Target are finding success in forging partnerships with other retailers and designers.

  • When Dress For Success came out in 1975, it set rigid rules for executive attire: The “proper” colors for a suit were blue, gray and beige; the most “authoritative” suit was a dark pinstripe; and the “most acceptable” dress shirt was white or solid colors. (No dresses here; The Women’s Dress For Success Book didn’t come out until 1977.)Today, there are no rules, other than being put-together from head to toe, no detail spared. The proper colors are ones that work with your coloring, the most aut
    By: Gail Belsky, Special to CNBC.com

    These days there are no dress-for-success rules, other than being put-together from head to toe, no detail spared. Here are the CEOs who have it down pat.

  • girl-magazine-jcrew-200.jpg

    Online spending may be increasing but the venerable catalog is doing anything but fading away. In fact, it is still an important part of business for retailers.

  • Thirty years ago, clothing existed in two worlds. One of fashion, where opulent designers like Christian Lacroix created crinoline-filled ball gowns covered in ornate tapestries. And one of retail, where practical garments were sold at affordable prices for reasonable people.Then the ‘90s happened, and fashion became more than a playground for those who could afford couture gowns. French luxury conglomerate LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) and PPR (which owns Gucci, Balenciaga, Stella McCartne
    By: Lauren Sherman, Special to CNBC.com

    Today, fashion is a $500 billion-plus industry, with the potential to make a lot more: particularly in emerging Asian markets. See who is currently setting the trends...and cutting the deals.

  • For those who love to shop, the search for that must-have item can be as fun as owning the actual product.  And some cities offer shoppers a bounty of options. So, where are the top shopping destinations around the globe?To find out, CNBC spoke with a team of editors at a trend forecasting firm that has been analyzing the retail industry for more than 80 years. To choose the world’s best cities for shopping, the analysts at Tobe compared a variety of city characteristics, as well as what the loc

    For those who love to shop, the search for that must-have item can be as fun as owning the actual product. Here are the top 10 international shopping destinations.

Related Links

  • The “C” in C-suite does not stand for cleavage. If you think a plunging neckline will help you climb that corporate ladder, think again.“Showing cleavage – a V-neck top is fine,” Branthover said. “Showing too much cleavage in most industries is not fine and particularly as you’re moving up the ladder.”But covering up does not equal reaching for the baggy clothing. Chandler stressed the importance of keeping a defined silhouette without showing too much skin.“I always do the mirror check and if t

    Seeking to land that promotion or nail that key meeting? Power-dressing experts shared their top tips for projecting an image of success as you climb the corporate ladder.

  • Every so often, a movie or television show depicts a character in an outfit that becomes iconic. It probably isn’t the intention of most filmmakers to inspire fashion revolutions with their movies, but the makers of “Flashdance” probably didn’t mind when America’s teenage girls started blowing their entire allowances on legwarmers.Not every movie or television show can achieve such a feat on that kind of scale, but many try, with varying degrees of success. What follows is a list of those that m

    What follows is a list of those that made an article of clothing famous, made characters famous for fashion sense, or managed some combination of the two.

  • Every bride wants to walk down the aisle in the perfect dress. These days, that gown could cost anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. Celebrity brides certainly make a splash with their opulent designer dresses. And at Kleinfeld, the New York bridal emporium, the most expensive gown ever sold was a custom design for $60,000, though most gowns are $3,500 and up.But in reality, most of us aren’t spending close to that much.American brides spent less than $1,200 on their dr

    Bridal gowns can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Here are 10 dresses for the budget-conscious bride.

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  • David Faber

    David Faber is a co-anchor of CNBC's "Squawk on the Street".