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     By: Kaitlin Duffy
April 29, 2009

FACT SHEET – NEW J.CREW STORE OPENING IN CINCINNATI


Who
J.Crew Group, Inc.
J.Crew CEO and Chairman of the Board Millard S. Drexler
Cincinnati Premium Outlets

What
Building new J.Crew store in Ohio
Hiring 30 employees

Where
Cincinnati Premium Outlets
Located in Cincinnati (off Interstate 75 at Ohio 63)

When
Employee training begins July 6, 2009
Store set to open in August

Benefits
To become a member of the J.Crew staff and family
To receive a 50 percent discount on J.Crew work apparel and 20 percent discount on any other
merchandise

Quote
Millard Drexler: “Joining the J.Crew team was one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made. It’s
[J.Crew] a place that really looks to promote their employees.”

Background on J.Crew Group, Inc.
Headquarters in New York
It is a high-end apparel company that produces classic and preppy items at an affordable price.

Background on Cincinnati Premium Outlets
Construction should be done by August 2009
400,000 square feet featuring100 stores

Information Contact
Lucy Collart, J.Crew employee relations associate
(800) 456-7892
                                           J.Crew
                                        770 Broadway
                                      New York, NY 10003

Contact: Blake DePalm                                                      For Immediate Release
       404-360-3990
       depalm@jcrew.com

The Merchant Prince

        NEW YORK (April 27) – Picking out wall paint, folding mandarin orange cardigans and

throwing out a design for madras pants due to an “unsymmetrical pocket detail” are just a few of

the tasks J.Crew’s CEO and Chairman, Millard “Mickey” Drexler, performs on a daily basis.

        After being hired by J.Crew in January 2003, Drexler has been attempting to make

J.Crew his next “fixer upper.”

        Drexler is known around the fashion world as the “Turnover Titan,” primarily because of

his ability to transform Gap from corny and unpopular to trendy and in style. A lot of critics

argue that Drexler was the one who “invented the casual chic.”

        Nevertheless, Drexler’s success story with Gap came to a brutal halt when Gap President

Don Fisher, encouraged Drexler into an early retirement after attributing him with Gap’s 29-

month slump in sales.

        A year later, J.Crew was getting desperate for a turnaround and enlisted the help of the

fashion psychic. For J.Crew conservatives, it took a while to get used to Drexler’s off the wall

behavior, but the company was well aware of his rescuer reputation and optimistic about his

abilities.

        However, after investing $10 million of his own money for a 22 percent share of J.Crew,

it seemed that no one was more optimistic than Drexler himself.
          Although Drexler has a beautiful office on the twelfth floor of the J.Crew headquarters

building in New York, he rarely uses it. Usually J.Crew coworkers find Drexler on his feet,

poking his head into other people’s meetings and rearranging the smallest details at local J.Crew

stores.

          “Drexler has immersed himself in every part of J.Crew business. He is a visionary and a

control freak,” J.Crew’s creative director, Jenna Lyons said.

          It seems Drexler graduated to a more mature audience than he was serving at Gap.

J.Crew’s audience is interested in the Ralph Lauren look without the designer price tag, but they

are still looking for high quality.

          Knowing the importance of quality, Drexler switched J.Crew to high-end factories that

are used by Prada, Coach and Oscar de la Renta. He also encouraged the addition of simple

details to classic pieces such as, linings and trims.

          Last fall, Drexler created a number of high-end pieces to make J.Crew that much more of

an upscale brand. $500 men’s cashmere blazers, $395 bedazzled dresses and a wide variety of

designer shoes put J.Crew in the fashion limelight.

          Communication was another element Drexler brought to the J.Crew team. Once a week,

Drexler and 30 J.Crew associates hold a conference call with the store managers around the

country to discuss details as specific as window displays.

          Drexler and his team of designers keep coming up with innovative ideas and brilliant

designs that continue to make J.Crew a success. Currently, Drexler is hinting at revitalizing

Crewcuts, adding more to J.Crew’s wedding line and introducing a brand new idea all together.

          “I love to work,” Drexler says. “I have a passion for what I do” and with a record like his,

there’s no telling what this merchant prince has up his seersucker sleeve.
                                            Crewcuts
                                    8687 N Central Expy # 762
                                        Dallas, TX 75225

Contact: Carole James                                                        For Immediate Release
       (214) 987-3706 (office)
       carolej@crewcuts.com

Opening of the first Crewcuts

       DALLAS (May 14) – The first J.Crew children’s store, Crewcuts, is opening its doors

tomorrow at NorthPark Center. Crewcuts will feature traditional J.Crew pieces, only in a

slightly smaller size. Crewcuts aims to please boys and girls ages 2 to 8 with its bright colors

and plush fabrics.

       “It’s classic with a twist,” J.Crew Chairman and CEO Millard Drexler said.

       The idea of creating a children’s line was introduced in late November with a few holiday

apparel items that parents could order online for a limited time.

       After two website overloads and multiple backorders, J.Crew management decided to

make Crewcuts a permanent addition to the company.

       Critter embroideries, ballerina flats and fitted golf shirts were just a few of the items

J.Crew believes parents will love to dress their children in.

       The NorthPark Center location will include everything from cashmere sweaters and

vibrant cotton skirts to seersucker shorts and ring bearer suits.

       “We’ve taken all the adult favorites, added more color and essentially created the same

chic look for kids,” J.Crew Senior Vice President, Jenna Lyons said.

       Plans to build additional Crewcuts locations are already in the works for New York and

San Diego along with a few stores in the southeast.

                                                    -30-
Madewell Clothing                                                              :30
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                                                                               Kill Date 05/21/09



       The new J.Crew chain, Madewell [MAYED-well], will be opening its first store in Dallas


on May 15th at Northpark Center mall.


       Madewell [MAYED-well] will offer key J.Crew inspired items like jeans, chinos, T-


shirts and fleece tops and will cater toward the younger female customer with its lower prices


and simple style.


       Prices on Madewell [MAYED-well] items will cost 20 to 30 percent less than very


similar items that can be found at J.Crew stores.


       Sneak peeks on favorite Madewell [MAYED-well] items are available for pre-order


online at www.MadewellDallas.com or through phone orders at 1-800-535-2739.


                                               (end)
J.Crew helps Boston students and FHC                                            :60
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                                                                                Kill Date 05/11/09



       The weekend of May Eighth, J.Crew stores in Boston will be offering a great opportunity


for students and for the Franciscan [Fran-SIS-can] Hospital for Children.


       J.Crew has teamed up with the Boston College Dance Marathon program in order to help


raise money for the F-H-C and to provide students with a discount.


       The only thing students are required to provide, is a promotional postcard, which can be


downloaded on the Boston College website. Students, who do so, will receive a 15 percent


discount on their purchase.


       Ten percent of all the profits made that weekend will be used for the children’s facilities


at the F-H-C.


       The Boston College Dance Marathon program is the first school group to partner up with


J.Crew for a charity cause.


       Boston Dance Marathon holds multiple events during the year to support their principle


charity, the F-H-C.


                                              (more)
J.Crew helps Boston students and FHC
2-2-2



       Usually the Dance Marathon program involves four to eight person groups dancing from


noon until midnight. The amount of money each group is responsible for raising varies


depending on the number of participants in each group.


                                            (end)
J.Crew and a Supermodel
Giving back to Ethiopian workers


        If fashion and charity are two of your favorite words, J.Crew and international
supermodel Liya Kebede have just the clothing line for you.
        After a recent trip to her hometown Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kebede noticed the terrible
conditions the city’s weave makers were confined to. The insignificant wages that weavers were
earning and the cramped spaces that they worked in made Kebede feel like she had no other
choice, but to do something.
        The weavers had this incredible talent, but Kebede believed they didn’t really have the
market. She wanted to introduce them to the Western market to see if we can help the Ethiopian
industry.
        Kebede’s goal was to create a clothing line that could maintain the traditional Ethiopian
look, but give the items a Western twist. She decided to call the clothing line Lemlem, after her
mother-in-law, meaning lush and fertile.
        The new clothing line not only gives Crewcuts kids a unique wardrobe, but it is also a
great way for Ethiopian weave makers to get out of their horrible working conditions.
        It was important for Kebede that all the clothes were made the way traditional Ethiopian
garments are made, so every Lemlem item is either hand-woven or made from hand-spun cotton.
        The only complaint that customers seem to be having about the Ethiopian campaign and
the clothing line Lemlem, is that Kebede doesn’t make the clothes in adult sizes.
        A lot of moms have been making phone calls and writing e-mails asking J.Crew to carry
Lemlem in adult sizes, but for now Lemlem is just for the kids.
        Not only is Lemlem an affordable way for your children to be fashionable, but for every
dollar spent on a Lemlem item, 30 cents will go toward Ethiopian weavers.
        If you have any questions or suggestions for Crewcuts or the Lemlem campaign, J.Crew
will be holding an open charity event Tuesday June 2 in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center at
3:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.
                                                                    J.Crew Fragrance Department
                                                                    770 Broadway
                                                                    New York, NY 10003

Mr. Land du Pont
Executive Director of Product
Corporate Communications
Condé Nast Publications
4 Times Square
New York, NY 10036

April 29, 2009

Dear Mr. du Pont:

For the past six months, J.Crew’s innovative staff has been trying to develop a new product for
men. After much deliberation, J.Crew has decided to create a men’s fragrance called Starboard.

Starboard will be in all major department stores and numerous fragrance boutiques across the
country by May 21, 2009.

Starboard will feature a combination of top quality elements, such as musk, patchouli and violet
leaf. J.Crew wants Starboard to embody the classic nautical feel that the company displays to
it’s customers on a daily basis.

J.Crew associates also hope that customers will appreciate Starboard’s eye-catching and unique
packaging.

The cologne itself will be available in a 1.7 or 3.4 oz. captain’s wheel-shaped container, made of
the finest Murano glass. The bottle will be placed in a navy box with a design resembling a
nautical print.

Since GQ seems to be the style guide for all fashionable men, J.Crew hopes to include the first
Starboard advertisement and page sample in the May GQ issue.

The GQ issue that featured a sample of J.Crew’s women’s fragrance, Sea Glass, was GQ’s best
selling issue last year. Since Starboard is a cologne, J.Crew is hoping to make the men’s
fragrance just as successful, as well as the May issue of GQ.

All of the J.Crew staff would appreciate GQ’s help in this endeavor.

Sincerely,


Julia Hudson
Head of J.Crew Fragrance Development