Brendon Babenzien, designer of the J.Crew menswear collection, is leaving the company, WWD has learned.
“Brendon Babenzien will be completing his work with J.Crew and shifting his focus to his brand, Noah,” a J.Crew spokesperson indicated in a statement on Tuesday. “We are grateful for the contributions he made during his time with the company and for the vision he brought to J.Crew Men’s. His influence helped define an important chapter for the brand, and we wish him continued success in the future.”
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It is believed that J.Crew does not yet have a successor to Babenzien. The company declined to comment on that situation.
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Babenzien was charged with modernizing the J.Crew menswear collection by improving its quality and blending J.Crew’s heritage preppy look with more of a cooler and updated approach, technical fabrics and relaxed pieces, including wide-leg trousers. He was also involved in bringing in third-party brands to help round out the collection, as well as launching a store at 19 Bond Street in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood that is primarily focused on the men’s collection. At the opening of the store in July 2024, he told WWD that the site “emphasized the best of J.Crew men’s. That means specialty sportswear pieces, limited-edition items and curated vintage J.Crew pieces, highlighting the quality and timelessness of our products, as well as our best expression of suits, shoes and cashmere.” He also supported the relaunch of the brand’s iconic print catalogue in September 2024, marking its return seven years after the company discontinued the paper mailer.
Babenzien has been at J.Crew since July 2021, reporting to Libby Wadle, chief executive officer of J.Crew Group. At the time of the appointment, the company said Babenzien would work to “redefine the iconic brand merging the vitality and creativity of today’s style subcultures with an innovative appreciation of classic menswear.”
Prior to J.Crew, Babenzien was a design director at Supreme, where he made his mark on the fashion world by elevating Supreme from a niche skate wear brand to a globally recognized, environmentally conscious menswear brand incorporating skate, surf and music cultures with classic menswear.
Babenzien is the cofounder of the Noah menswear brand, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary last fall. Babenzien, working with his wife, Estelle Bailey, create a collection rooted in sourcing transparency, quality construction and timeless designs. Donegal sweaters made from merino wool from Ireland, herringbone sack suits, plaid cashmere CPO overshirts and pinstripe Oxford shirts complement the graphic Ts, classic hoodies and five-pocket jeans.