“I bought my first interview suit at a J.Crew,” Wadle told Kristin Stoller at Fortune’s Most Power Women Summit on Wednesday. She didn’t get the job, but Wadle added: “I remember the fabric, I remember the experience, and that is still resonant today.”
She’s now aiming to build on those wins by reconnecting emotionally with customers by capitalizing on the brand’s timeless appeal and tapping into customer nostalgia.
“There’s this sort of authenticity piece that all of the generations care about,” Wadle said. “Being a brand that has references back to almost a better time or a nostalgic time… that’s a common connection, I think, for all the generations.”
As another generation looks to buy their first interview suits, Wadle says J.Crew is finding “those moments of resonance” to appeal to customers of all ages.
“It really cuts across multi generations (and) has been critical for us,” Wadle said. “It’s not just about one generation. It’s really about connecting and finding that commonality with all.”
“We’re not a performance brand,” she acknowledged. But “for us, we’re a multi generational brand, and skiing and snowboarding is really a multi generational sport.”
“We do have a heritage, certainly slope-side,” Wadle said. “There’s a lot of DNA there.”
So far, the Winter Olympics collaboration has been rosy. Wadle said she and Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, have already started brainstorming about “life after the Olympic Games.”
“We’re excited about what we could be doing next, and how it could sort of give a platform to both of your businesses,” Wadle said.
