J.Crew President Jenna Lyons has been making headlines lately. Not because of her incredible success at the heritage brand, not because of her stunning Brooklyn townhouse or her gorgeous son, but because her marriage is crumbling.
Lyons photographed in her townhouse for Elle Decor
I have admired Lyons for years and can confess to having a major girl-crush on the Amazon. She is equal parts stylish and cooky, businesswoman and mother. She was the keynote speaker at a conference I attended a year ago and she was just so relatable, telling the audience about how she still can't send an attachment no matter how many times her assistant has taught her. I had the chance to speak with her briefly afterward and we talked about balancing motherhood with a busy career and how difficult it can be. In short, she is a real woman, a working mom who faces the same challenges that we all do (albeit with a much bigger budget, but I digress).
Lyons in her office at J.Crew headquarters
She has become a glamorous yet relatable figurehead for J.Crew over the past few years (she's been with the company since 1990, but has only been in the spotlight since 2008 when the company introduced "Jenna's Picks", a feature in its catalogues and on its website), appearing on Oprah and in many shelter magazines and blogs. Sadly she is now rumored to be in the midst of a messy divorce from her husband, artist Vincent Mazeau, and many speculate that she has found love with a woman, Courtney Crangi (also a fashion executive and mother of three).
Lyons and Crangi
I can only hope that the public gives Lyons and her family some much-needed privacy in this difficult time. But in our media-starved world I doubt that will happen. But Lyons will, like everything else she has done, come out on top and with grace.
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