Quotes from Mickey Drexler

I'm always looking over my shoulder, needing to stay ahead of the game.

You have to build a team, but someone's got to lead, and someone's got to be unpopular at times.

If you think you know the consumer better than anyone, then you're in real trouble. So we take a close watch. You spend time in stores.

You can't separate the clothes from the stores, from the environment.

There are too many retailers. There are too many brands. There are too many designers. There are too many discount stores, and the predator online companies are selling discount like crazy.

I grew up in the Bronx. I used to remember going to all these fancy stores in Manhattan to run errands or whatever, and I felt intimidated, like they did not talk to me because I was from the Bronx. I never want anyone to be intimidated by fashion. Fashion is fun or, at least, should be.

While 2015 was challenging, we implemented many strategic and operational initiatives to improve our business and better position J.Crew for the future.

It takes a long time to get a reputation for quality. There are people in our industry, they're basically copiers. Look at the cars on the streets. They all look alike. But if you put quality into a product, then have it validated, you have huge credibility.

You know what ends up on the markdown racks? All the weird colors. Guys don't wear orange or citron.

I find, in merchandising and design and creative, a business school degree isn't particularly helpful.

You banter, and you talk, and you get a sense of the speed of thinking and flexibility... It's not terribly scientific, but I interview a dozen or two dozen people a week, and I get a certain vibe reasonably fast.

Steve Jobs, if he had lived, was gonna design an iCar. I think cars have an extraordinary opportunity for cool design.

Service drives a lot of my decisions.

I call them associates; I don't like the word 'employee.'

My management style is there is no such thing as non-important people in the company.