As the founder of Noah and former creative director of Supreme, it’s safe to say that Brendon Babenzien knows the New York streetwear scene like the back of his hand. And while his latest venture with J.Crew might not fall in line with these brands from a cultural perspective, the head designer’s first collection with the Big Apple-bred clothier is as stylish as expected.
J.Crew’s handsome Fall ’22 collection is highlighted by several garments, many of which bring Babenzien’s brand of subtle prep to the forefront through J.Crew’s essential pieces. For instance, the Wallace & Barnes plaid blazer in Scottish wool is handwoven from durable material that doesn’t skimp on style. Another notable item is the Harrington jacket in corduroy with varsity stripe trim, an ideal retro-style piece of outerwear that maintains the classic silhouette’s integrity.
In addition to all these autumn wardrobe staples, Babenzien’s collection is rounded out with tons of accessories, including cozy corduroy bucket hats, chic suede Derbys, wool-crafted baseball caps, and much more. It’s certainly refreshing to see J.Crew take a step in a more modern direction without losing what made it special: stylish accessibility from top to bottom. On that note, Babenzien unsurprisingly did the collection justice, as he managed to fuse elements of ’80s-era J.Crew classics with the new-school fashion cues that made Noah what it is today.
While more garments will be released on August 14, pieces from Brendon Babenzien’s first menswear collection with J.Crew are available to pre-order on the brand’s online store now, starting from $40.
