If you’ve started shopping at J.Crew again in recent years, you probably have Libby Wadle and Olympia Gayot to thank.
Since then, the two men have regularly been credited with reviving the traditional label by introducing it to a new generation. And they made their job easy.
So when Wadle, Gayot and the J.Crew team attended the annual Parsons Benefit on Tuesday evening, Business Insider asked the two executives how they thought young fashion designers could succeed in similar careers.
“First of all, I think they should do what they love,” Wadle advised those seeking employment in the fashion industry.
Olympia Gayot and Libby Wadle at the Parsons Benefit 2024. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Libby Wadle’s Take: Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion
According to Wadle, the first step toward a successful career in fashion is determining your niche. Maybe you want to design clothes, create marketing campaigns, or run brands like her.
The key is to do what you’re passionate about and then find a work environment that supports you, she said.
“If you’re in the design field and you’re a creative person, you should look to work for people who honor and nurture that,” Wadle told BI. “You can find a lot of people in the business world who will do that and really prioritize creativity. There are a lot of opportunities and I think people coming from a place like Parsons should really look for that.”
Wadle received the Parsons Table Award, given to individuals in the fashion industry who have deeply inspired Parsons students and have had a fundamental impact on the design industry as a whole.
Libby Wadle at the Parsons Benefit 2024. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Olympia Gayot’s point of view: finding inspiration in the mundane
Gayot has led the charge in modernizing J.Crew’s beloved classic pieces. She achieved this by balancing “art and commerce,” she told BI.
“It might seem like a less creative answer, but on the design side, it’s really about being super creative and trusting your instincts,” she said. “Instinct is so important for a designer, and if you don’t have it, it’s difficult.”
Gayot’s fashion instincts are palpable from the moment you meet her. She looked effortlessly cool at the Parsons Benefit, wearing a double-breasted black blazer over a beaded skirt. And mid-interview, she was even pulled aside by another J.Crew executive who needed fashion advice.
She said those who want to follow in her creative footsteps should start by finding inspiration in everyday life.
“Take inspiration from travel, friends, books, literature, films,” she told BI. “Really fill your cup in terms of inspiration so you have lots of your own ideas to create from.”
These ideas must then be translated into products that your customers love.
“Without your customers, you don’t have a brand,” Gayot said. “So really listen to them and understand what their needs are. A big part of my job, which I love, is talking to people. Do you need an outfit for work? Are you a stay-at-home mom Do you want to look chic on the weekend? Are you going on a trip? It’s this real end-use perspective that I think is really important.
The Parsons Benefit took place at Cipriani Wall Street Tuesday evening. The annual event raises money to support scholarships, inspires younger generations of designers and celebrates influential creators in fashion and design.
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