Come One Come All: J. Press FW26 Collection
Updated: 7 days ago
My bad, allow me to dust off my keyboard, it’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog for Dozer. Today is a celebration of prep, ivy, progress and free WiFi. I’m sitting down nursing a chai latte right now fresh off the J. Press show and the feeling of the hour is rejuvenation. The culture of prep doesn’t allow the wheel of preppy style to be reinvented, however, there’s a stark difference between the wheel of a wagon and that of a modern car. J. Press and the prep world at large are on top of their game, insisting prep isn’t having a moment but rather an ascending reign.
The J. Press Fall/Winter 26 collection is a soft return to form for the brand and a hard statement of authority in the same breath. Nuance is the name of the game in prep and these guys are first ballot hall of famers for a reason. There are a bevy of attributes I look for in a fashion show. I’m inclined to consider ambiance, creative direction, and I suppose the clothing itself as well. These factors create a marriage of congruent (and subtle) story telling that evokes an emotional response from the viewer. The thoughts that run through my head from any given collection vary, but this time I had a considerably different and delightfully obscure response— it made me reflect.
In my immediate reflection I came to the conclusion that believability in art is a unique trait I feel is often under discussed. Speaking for myself, as an avid music listener, I know the songs that evoke an emotional reaction from me are the ones where it doesn’t feel like I’m listening to an interesting conceptual story. The songs that get me have an earnest portrayal of a feeling or an event. Hearing the lyrics is one thing but feeling the intention and truly believing the ideas put before you is what forms a connection with the music. About a quarter through the J. Press show a similar feeling of belief began to form.
The smokescreen of forced self-confidence was nowhere to be found in this collection. Out the gate the impression was "we're so back." I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the controversial Spring/Summer 26 collection from earlier this year. The collection was an ode to the classic menswear book Take Ivy. A book about ivy style on Ivy League campuses published by Teruyoshi Hayashida in 1965. The controvesy focused on the identical designs from the book in lieu of making a few creative tweaks. While I agree with the sentiment, in the same breath I can't overlook how cool it is to see two behemoths in literature and fashion under the prep/ivy umbrella conjoin to create outfits that you could once only see in a book. According to creative director and president of J. Press, Jack Carlson, the Fall/Winter 26 collection is partially about "the British heritage of J. Press" per Town & Country Magazine. I suppose a luxury of being a longstanding staple in fashion is the deep bag of personal and historical references to build off of.
Wax overcoats, Scottish made rugbies, and tweed as far as the eye can see are a few personal highlights but there were certainly some curveballs in the mix. Above is the Tartan Duffle Coat and while it certainly isn't something I would wear, they remind me of "go to hell pants" which again for the record I would never wear myself, however, I have respect for those who can pull it off. This design is a perfect example of what this collection exudes to me, the idea that not everything has to be serious. A brand that takes itself too seriously and a brand that respects itself are a night and day difference, and it always shows in the clothes and the presentation.
Competing with yourself is a practice brands seem to be picking up on. When you're a heritage brand like a J. Press, a Paul Stuart, or a Brooks Brothers, improvement isn't found by looking at the answers of the person sitting next to you, it's created in house. In this collection J. Press has brandished the ability to confidently try new things while sticking to the brand ethos. This execution (to me) has strengthened the brand image as they show the ability to mature within themselves. A great example or maturation and pleasantly surprising piece of this collection is the introduction of a J. Press womenswear line.
This marks the first time J. Press has flirted with the idea of a womenswear line since the 1960s. Smart business move aside, I think it's a fun direction for the brand. Women already wear their clothes, but making clothes with them in mind is a game changer for any heritage brand. Though I enjoy the designs I have to admit they are quite trad (traditional) in execution. You could chalk it up to paying homage to the '60s era of J. Press womenswear if you'd like but ultimately I think it's a moot point. Almost all of the clothes in this collection are trad, the difference maker to me is the styling and who's in it. Fuck it, I'll say the quiet part out loud, this runway is diverse as hell. And yes, the person wearing the clothes is paramount to how this collection is perceived.
Diverse models and unique styling champion the varying demographics of people who wear ivy. We'd be having a different conversation if everyone in the show looked like they're obsessed with "Friends" but that simply isn't the case. It doesn't take one semester of psychology classes, scratch that, two semesters of psychology classes to understand the impact visibility in media has on the mind. Not to mention, the lines of dressing trad and being trad have blurred a little. We have entered a new (and I'd like to think permanent) era of fashion where the wearer gets to define what their clothes means. I for one dress relatively trad but my values are far from it. 10/10 times when I see a guy wearing a Patagonia vest and rubber sole derbies next to a guy in a full suit with some weejuns on, I'm gonna assume the man with the cursed derbies is at best a Cuomo supporter. Intentional or not, diversifying the models show onlookers the reality of what prep and ivy look like today. Inclusion is a word I often associate with inviting someone who wouldn't typically be in a community into said space. There's a hefty implication of a power dynamic there, insinuating that there's perhaps a small sum of people can be admitted to said space. This J. Press show isn't inclusion it's immersion.
The Fall/Winter 26 J. Press collection is the dawn of what is sure to be an interesting future for the brand. The implementation of womenswear is sure to make waves in the coming seasons and I for one am excited to see where that goes. Perhaps more men will begin to blur the lines of gender and start wearing J. Press skirts? Or maybe they'll start off with the eventual J. Press cardigan. If there's a single word I could use to describe this collection it would be dauntless. The trend of moving forward by looking inward is one I'm quite smittened by. Recolection isn't reserved for individuals, brands can and are polishing themselves, in turn becoming even more of what they were before. There's no need to call this J. Press 2.0 or "the new J. Press." It's the same brand with some new ideas, that I’m sure will be executed with confidence, and that's hot.
Comments