From Supreme to J.Crew: Brendon Babenzien chases the post fast-fashion aesthetic

At first blush, Supreme and J.Crew would seem to have little in common. One is inspired by New York City’s gritty skate culture of the ’90s; the other embraces the preppy style that first emerged at Ivy League colleges in the 1910s.

But Brendon Babenzien, who spent more than decade defining design at Supreme before taking over J.Crew’s menswear department in 2021, sees a distinct through line between them. When done well, both aesthetics should be timeless and resist trends. “Fashion is about getting you to buy more products by convincing you that what you own is no longer relevant,” he says. “But in some ways, fashion doesn’t enter the conversation at [either J.Crew or Supreme]. They’re about how it’s really cool to wear your old clothes.” Read more at Fast Company.