J.CREW NAMES JOHANNA UURASJARVI CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER

Global retailer J.Crew Group, Inc. has announced that it has named Johanna Uurasjarvi as chief design officer. She will be responsible for guiding the overall design direction for the J.Crew brand and report to Jim Brett, J.Crew Group, Inc. CEO. Uurasjarvi joins J.Crew from West Elm, where she was the creative director of the lifestyle and specialty home furnishing company. Prior to that she was the creative director of Anthropologie for a decade.

“Johanna brings more than 25 years of fashion and design experience with a unique understanding of how customers shop and live,” said Brett. “She is a visionary with impeccable taste who will undoubtedly inspire our team, our partners, and our customers. I am thrilled to work with Johanna again. We had a powerful and successful partnership at West Elm and Anthropologie, and to work with her again is an honor.”

At West Elm, she was the concept builder of its successful “New Modern” assortment, a lighter and brighter interpretation of classic Mid-Century Modern with layered textures and material innovation, incorporating the company’s signature interest in global artistry. She was known for consistently delivering imaginative collections and was an instrumental part of a team that helped the brand to reach $1 billion in revenue.

Prior to that, Uurasjarvi was the executive creative director of product design for Anthropologie, where she built the company’s first in-house design team. Her talent for juxtaposing clean lines with whimsical detail created the original aesthetic, still the foundational signature. In 2008, she developed the cult wholesale brand, Leifsdottir, which was carried by the brand as well as 200 additional doors, including Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom stores, and in 2011 was picked as one of the most creative people of the year by Fast Company.

“I am thrilled to join the talented team at J. Crew and help to evolve this incredible iconic brand,” added Uurasjarvi. “I also look forward to working with Jim again. His vision, values and unique understanding of today’s consumer make him a special leader.”