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If youre one of Olympia Gayots 186,000 Instagram followers, you know her office well.
Courtesy of J. Crew
This content can also be viewed on the site itoriginatesfrom.
Her handbag might be Celine, her shoes Loro Piana, but her clothes are always J.Crew.
Is there a secret to always looking so put-together and chic on the internet?
From left: Inside Gayot’s office; a November 2024 mood board
I dont always feel polished, but in that mirror I look like I do.
I ask, So its a magic mirror?
She agrees: It really is.
Raee and Liya Kebede
Glamour:Youve just released the spring 2025 catalog.
Our 41-year heritage is a pretty amazing thing.
It really shows that fashion is a reflection of culture.
Courtesy of J. Crew
What stands out to you about the spring 2025 catalog?
The stories are all great, but I love the story of Liya Kebede and her daughter.
Shes a model that we worked with starting in the 2000s for many, many years.
Courtesy of J. Crew
Shes a fantastic woman in every way, just smart and beautiful and everything.
The catalog was really centered around the idea of generations of friends and families and all ages of people.
[Liya and her daughter] were so cute and amazing and made me envy that…. And theyre two cool New York women.
They knew what they were doing.
I think Gitane was the first place that I visited when I came to New York.
I think my parents brought me to New York when I was 15.
It mustve been in the mid-90sI just remember everyone looked so cool.
Coming from Toronto…not that people arent cool there, they are.
But New Yorktheres a style within New York.
Youd go to New York and youd see things you wouldnt see anywhere else.
I just remember the guys were so handsome and the girls were so gorgeous.
Tell me about the spring collection.
What are your must-have basics?
For spring there are a lot of really great, easy silhouettes.
Linens also a really big business for us.
Instagram/@olympiamarie
Its very heritage, and it continues to be so strong for us and for our customer.
We also have amazing T-shirts in a new featherweight quality.
And our cashmere assortment really continues to be strong even in spring and summer.
I think transitionally, too, with the weather changing, cashmere still continues to be something that works.
When I think of J.Crew, I think of the classics.
Some shapes are meant to be very classic, and some are a little bit more pushed.
For me its about layering and personal style.
Thats where you’re able to bring the edge.
Were just playing on that, playing with texture.
And its also water-resistant.
We have our oversized crew, which is based off of the mens sweater.
So you’re able to play that kind of boyfriend aspect as well.
So again, because were multigenerational, we have shapes for everybody.
Thats always what weve done.
Like these items push the boundaries of a classic.
Yeah, I think a fit is everything in clothing.
Its more than people realize.
Its just about playing with proportion too.
A trouser being oversizedeven buying a trouser a size too big and belting itcan make things look very luxurious.
you could wear it with a tight little T-shirt to play with that proportion.
Its very heritage for us too.
And if I wear that with kind of a fitted jean, it looks really great.
Or just steal it from your husband or boyfriend if you have one.
I feel like belts are having a moment.
Huge, huge moment.
All over the runways, everything is belts, belts, belts, belts, belts.
Whats a new way to wear a belt?
And then when I wear more of a low-waisted trouser, I go for a wider belt.
A lot of the skirts weve been selling have belt loops so that you could add that detail.
you could take these classic pieces and add on to them.
You might only need one.
Sometimes Ill wear one belt for the whole season and its just like, thats it.
J.Crew has a preppy DNA.
How do you feel about the termpreppy?
I think it had its bad connotations and its good.
Prep right now works in a way thats subversive because everybody can participate.
I think a lot of brands are playing in prep right now.
Its just become this really cool way of dressing.
It kind of goes in and out, but its having a revival.
I love that its so inclusive.
People are having fun with it and messing with it.
Even someone like Simone Rochaat her last show she had all the rugby shirts with ruffles.
When you could break the norm and make something new and exciting…. Thats why Im in fashion.
Do you have a trick for making things look the way theyre kind of supposed to look?
I guess number one, I would say those are photographs, and its a selfie.
Do you press your clothing though?
I need to know your hair-care routine.Just tell me everything.
I use a leave-in conditioner in the shower from Oribe.
When you twist your hair first before scrunching, it creates more controlled curls.
Sometimes if youre just scrunching your hair, itll be crazy.
So you sleep with wet hair?
I sleep with wet hair.
Ive always done that.
And then when I wake up, Ill use a little bit more of the Supershine cream.
So I put a lot of oil at the ends to get it to be soft.
Any beauty products you use every day?
I wear a lot of Gucci Westman makeup.
Its really moisturizing and nourishing.
I love the All-Over Illuminator Drops.
I love her mascara, which comes in this red-hot tube.
Its so sexy and gorgeous.
She has this product called the Super Loaded Tinted Highlight.
Its a compact powder.
Ill just put the glow drops and that on, and thats it.
I love Fara Homidis lipstick, [which comes] with a lip balm.
The color is called Nude 1, and its my go-to everyday lipstick.
I feel like I cant live without lipstick.
I need some kind of color on my lip.
Otherwise I just feel like I look tired.
Its like my thing.
I also love the Marie Veronique products.
She has this refined and fortifying essential kit.
It says its for [ages] 30-plus.
So Im like, thats cool for me.
I love Cle de Peauthey have a great sunblock.
Do you have anything that you would consider a uniform?
I always love a great pair of jeans.
I wear a lot of white denim.
I feel like theres something about that thats just very clean and easy.
I love a trouser.
And then I love a third piece.
Right now Im wearing a shearling lady jacket.
But I love the idea of a lady jacket or a big oversized blazer.
Im really all about layering and having that third piece gives you a little bit of a shoulder.
It takes time to really come up with interesting combinations.
In every industry, we all project ourselves onto what we do.
I dressed very differently in my 20s to my 30s, and now in my 40s.
In my 20s, I was running around in Victorian dresses and combat boots.
I dont know, I was just so free.
Being a mom definitely affects how I design because Im thinking about the J.Crew woman all the time.
Its a balance of art and commerce.
We need to be comfortable.
Do you have a go-to pair of sneakers right now?
And I love Nike.
Ive been wearing them in bright red.
I feel like Ive noticed a lot of pop-of-red moments, especially the last couple collections.
Is that a color youve always loved?
Reds a neutral to me.
Its kind of like that with leopard or a polka dot too.
These prints are just very, very neutral in a way.
Its very much part of a woman to have that side, to have that side of femininity.
The same with a red sweater, or a red coat.
What was the last great book you read?
Im readingOn Beautyby Zadie Smith right now.
Im also reading theWaiting Game: The Untold Stories of Women Who Served the Tudor Queensby Nicola Clark.
What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up when you were a kid?
It was always about what they were wearing.
It sounds like you were making little J.Crew catalogs.
It was just so exciting.
Do you still feel invigorated by the pace?
I mean, sometimes its tiring, but it is really fun.
When youre a designer, you have to at least be open to evolution because its always changing.
Always, always, always.
So I do like the pace of that.
What is your go-to thank-you gift?
I love receiving flowers and I feel like people do too.
If you get home and theres flowers there waiting for you, its amazing.
When people send me them, Im always shocked and excited.
Do you have a low-stakes treat at the end of the day?
I have chocolate every night before bed, and I meditate every night, or I attempt to.
Do you have a morning routine?
My morning routine is fast and furious.
I think my nighttime routine is more organized.
Sometimes Ill take a bath.
And the morning is like, I love to sleep.
So now that theyre both sleeping normally, if I can sleep till seven, I will.
I should probably be waking up at six.
But I wake up at seven, and then we are out of the door by 8:15.
I get up, I make the kids food, I make myself and my husband coffee.
He helps get the kids dressed and we swap turns dropping them off.
What are the best and worst qualities in a boss?
I think the best qualities in a boss is when somebody can acknowledge your skills and your talents.
Just let people have autonomy in what they do and not micromanage.
And then Im like, Okay, lets try it.
I wont ever say we cant try something.
So I think just being able to give people freedom.
Has your social media philosophy changed since you went public on Instagram?
Have you set any clear boundaries or come up with any mantras for yourself about it?
Its very much about creative-based, not about feelings or anything.
