The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew -- M

<p><strong>One of <em>Vogue'</em>s most anticipated books of 2023.</strong></p><p><strong>A quintessentially American fashion narrative about the rise and fall of the first lifestyle brand, J.Crew, and what the company's fate means for the shifting landscape of the retail industry.</strong></p><p>Once upon a time, a no-frills J.Crew rollneck sweater held an almost mystical power--or at least it felt that way. The story of J.Crew is the story of the original "lifestyle brand," whose evolution charts a sea change in the way we dress, the way we shop, and who we aspire to <em>be</em> over the past four decades--all told through iconic clothes and the most riveting characters imaginable.</p><p>In <em>The Kingdom of Prep</em>, seasoned fashion journalist Maggie Bullock tells J.Crew's epic story for the first time, bringing to life the deliciously idiosyncratic people who built a beloved brand, unpacking the complex legacy of prep--a subculture born on the 1920s campuses of the Ivy League--and how one brand rose to epitomize "American" style in two very different golden eras, and also eventually embodied the "retail apocalypse" that rocked the global fashion industry and left hollowed-out malls across the country.</p><p>In a juicy business narrative rich with humor and insight, Bullock combines the colorful characters of <em>The Devil Wears Prada</em>, the business insight of Deluxe, and the nostalgia factor of True Prep, to chart J.Crew's origin story, its Obama-era heyday, and i