It was unfair of all of us to expect sudden change as soon as Brendon Babenzien — the founder of Noah and a former design director for Supreme — took over J.Crew‘s men’s section. He was appointed creative director last spring, and the first collection was slated for the following fall. Well, the following fall is, well, now, and it seems that things haven’t changed too much.
But that’s okay, I think?
When Babenzien’s appointment was first announced, no one seemed shocked. It was surprising, sure, but his vision aligned with closely with J.Crew’s, even if Noah’s price points are, well, upmarket. He often references the ocean through nautical themed collections with Popeye and collabs with the Billion Oyster Project. Hell, Noah even made limited-edition limestone-based wetsuits.
Then there’s Babenzien’s penchant for prep, a style he subverted while with Supreme but has clearly come to appreciate since starting Noah in 2015. Noah’s lookbooks have always felt like what J.Crew could be. There’s alway been clear crossover in their collaborator pool, too: Sperry, Barbour and Timex, to name a few. And even though Noah is decidedly more free-minded about its statements, the brands’ themes sometimes felt similar, too: One Noah season centered on cross country, while another featured nods to life upstate. J.Crew’s done hiking collections and fictional sports merch has been a mainstay since Todd Snyder worked there.
So, was it fair to expect a complete transformation? Probably not. That being said, more of the same feels surprising, too, even though the standout pieces from Babenzien’s tenure are already much stronger. If this collection were a cocktail, it’d be three parts J.Crew, one part Babenzien’s new direction — a subtle, purist’s-opinion-preserving twist on a classic.
