Just in time for the fall marathon season, J. Crew partners with running brand Tracksmith on a capsule collection launching Tuesday.
The collection of running shorts, tank tops, sweatpants, quarter-zips, long sleeve tees, turtlenecks and hoodies includes some signature Tracksmith styles like tank tops and shorts, as well as more lifestyle options.
Matt Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Tracksmith, said he’s known Brendon Babenzien, J. Crew’s new men’s creative director, for a while and collaborated with him on a collection for his other brand, Noah, in 2017. for a line headed to the New York City Marathon. “Brendon has been a client for a while and he called me when he got the J. Crew job, so he was a natural extension,” Taylor said.
The collection can be worn while running or just relaxing.
The collection was created by Taylor and Babenzien and a small team to “set the direction,” Taylor said, directing the various designs and embellishments, such as a “J” with a wing coming out of it for the front of the hoodie. and the block letters “crew” on the back. Eliot the Hare’s Tracksmith trademark logo is also found on many of the items and the t-shirts feature the brand’s band across the chest. Prices range from $65 for tees and shorts to $110 for a Trackhouse hoodie, $128 for a Fells merino wool turtleneck and $198 for a Bislett pant.
“A key thing about the collection is that the anchor pieces are Brendon’s favorite Tracksmith pieces and they’re mine too: the Bislett pants and the Fells turtleneck,” said Taylor. “They’re aesthetically different for running clothes, but they work really well, which is why Brendon was drawn to them.”
The collection is available from October 11.
The collection can be worn to run a marathon but also to go to the gym or just go out with friends. “They would meet the requirements of the committed runner, but it’s also good for everyone else,” Taylor said.
The line, which will be available online and in stores, is just a one-time collaboration at this point, Taylor said.
Tracksmith was created by Taylor in 2014 in Wellsley, Massachusetts, the midpoint of the Boston Marathon, and moved 13.1 miles from downtown to Boston’s Newbury Street in 2017. It operates a retail store, Trackhouse, in Boston. He is known for his classic style sportswear and his dedication to the sport of running.
On September 30, Tracksmith opened its second London store over the London Marathon weekend, a 1,700-square-foot, two-level store with a patio and garden at 23-25 Chiltern Street. It was open until October 7, at which point it closed for renovations before opening permanently in November.
For the store opening, Tracksmith introduced its first running shoe, the Eliot Runner, which Taylor says has been in development for five years. The shoes will be available for pre-order on October 24 and will ship in November.
“It’s an important launch for us,” said Taylor, and the fact that both the shoe and the store were launched in London rather than another city in the US “gives you an idea of our ambition to be a global brand.
Source: news.google.com