Former J. Crew executive Jenna Lyons partners with Turner Entertainment on new projects
Jenna Lyons has landed. The former executive creative director of J. Crew Inc., who resigned from the company in April 2017, has formed a partnership with Turner Entertainment to build an omnichannel lifestyle brand that marries content and commerce in a weekly unscripted lifestyle series and a daily curated social and direct-to-consumer platform launching in 2019.
In an interview with WWD in February, nine months after her departure from J. Crew, Lyons said she was taking her time to find the right role. She left the retailer with $1 million, which gave her the luxury of not having to rush into anything. At the time, she said the pace of fashion cycles, hastened by social media, made the industry less appealing to her. “I don’t know if I want the intensity of fashion’s speed now,” Lyons said, adding, “I don’t think my own brand is in the cards. If I were going to get back into fashion, I’d do it in a different way.”
The Turner partnership represents a different approach. Lyons said she’s always been interested in melding desire and affordability, and she plans to present a cohesive vision of interiors, fashion and beauty. Lyons’ platform will give consumers the necessary tools to create their own style.
“We want to try something new,” Lyons said. “I want to build a story-driven, comprehensive resource for anyone to satisfy their personal style and help them make aesthetic choices. We’ll bring that together with real-time entertainment. With the team at Turner, I’ve found an inspiring and open-minded approach to thinking about commerce across multiple platforms.”
“In addition to her notable leadership, I, like millions of Americans, was taken with Jenna’s role in shaping J. Crew Group’s growth and strategic transformation,” said Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT and chief creative officer of Turner Entertainment. “I couldn’t think of a better partner for this next-generation fusion of media, lifestyle and commerce.
Lyons will share her curatorial perspective in a weekly series produced by Our House Media. “The timing seems just right to finally crack the content-commerce puzzle,” said Matt Hanna, president of Our House. “Connecting a personality like Jenna with the vision of Turner presents us with an incredible creative opportunity.”
