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J.Crew is giving one of its most recognizable ’80s staples a Gen Z-sized makeover.
The retailer has tapped Emma Chamberlain to front the launch of its new Tiny Rollneck, a shrunken, fitted take on the cotton sweater that has been a brand staple since 1988. The new silhouette officially drops Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 8 a.m. ET on jcrew.com.
As its name suggests, the Tiny Rollneck tweaks the proportions of the original with a slightly cropped length and closer fit, offered in bright, graphic colors .The accompanying campaign, shot and directed by Ian Markell, places Chamberlain in a candy-colored, retro-futuristic world inspired by early-aughts fashion imagery and video-game character-selection screens. Chamberlain’s longtime stylist Jared Ellner worked with J.Crew creative director Olympia Gayot on the looks.
J. Crew Tiny Rollneck
The release is the latest chapter in J.Crew’s ongoing effort to put on its best-known archival pieces to a new generation. The original Rollneck debuted in the company’s 1988 catalog, distinguished by its heavyweight cotton knit, raglan sleeves and loosely curled neckline. Last fall, J.Crew put the sweater back in the spotlight with its “New Rollneck Generation” campaign, enlisting Benito Skinner, Molly Gordon, Maggie Rogers, Dominic Sessa, Lukita Maxwell, Rome Flynn and Taylour Paige-Angulo to model an assortment of new and archival-inspired versions.
J.Crew kept experimenting with the knit this spring with “Rollneck Remix,” its first designer-led reinterpretation of the staple. Timed to New York Fashion Week, the project handed the sweater over to five independent labels — Buci, Collina Strada, Eckhaus Latta, Patrick Taylor and Tanner Fletcher — which variously added lace, colorblocking, unconventional knit techniques and nautical detailing to its familiar shape.
The J.Crew Tiny Rollneck collection launches Aug. 26 at 8 a.m. ET atjcrew.com.
