DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
Name: Somsack Sikhounmuong Title: Head of J.Crew Women’s Design. Hometown: New York (via Toronto). Words of wisdom: “Nothing’s worth doing if there isn’t a little bit of nervousness to it. Being too comfortable is never that great.”
Q What’s it like being a Canadian designer at the head of such a huge Americana brand?
A It’s not such a big deal in the U.S., but when I go home and visit J.Crew stores in Canada, there’s a sense of pride to someone being here and doing what I do. It’s always great to hear and I love going home. I was just at the Markville mall (in Markham, Ont.) and my parents go there all the time. They go to the J.Crew store and talk to the sales staff ... and the last time we were there we took a group picture. Everyone is very proud.
Q Canada, in general, is so eager to claim the Canadian designers who make it big internationally.
A It’s like we infiltrated in some way. (Laughs.) It’s funny because I’m probably one of three Canadian designers on the design team. There are probably a few more on every floor here. So, we’re here. We’re probably really quiet about it — but, we’re here.
Q You were the head designer at Madewell before taking on this role, so you’ve been in the J.Crew family for a while now. But did you ever imagine, as a design student in Ontario, that you would be heading up womenswear at J.Crew?
A When I graduated school, I knew I wanted to do something that wasn’t as a high-end designer. I knew I wanted to do something that reached more people. I love more than anything, when I go to the dry cleaners, I see tons of our pieces hanging in the back. People wear our clothes. I love seeing people in the subway wearing our clothes. I love seeing people at the airport in our clothes. Oftentimes, I don’t think you get that with high, high, high-end designers. With our pieces, it’s always amazing to see people living in your designs ... So, did I ever think I would be at J.Crew per se? No. But I knew I wanted to be at a brand that reached lots of people at lots of ages and lots of sizes at different times in their lives.
Q What inspires you?
A I’m kind of a visual nut. I’m always looking for things on blogs, in museums, out shopping or hanging out with friends.
Q Do you think J.Crew’s wide range of customers makes it easier or more difficult to design for?
A To me, it’s almost a challenge in some ways, because it’s like we’ve been given these parameters and we have to design within them. And I love that. It’s almost like problem-solving in some way.
Q Do you design with a specific customer in mind?
A We don’t. If anything, the mantra each season is to design something that evokes some sort of emotion. That emotion will span all categories and ages.
Q What are your ambitions for your role here?
A It’s interesting because, I really don’t ever think that far ahead. It’s almost like whatever comes each day, and there is so much coming every day. It’s a constant filtering and editing. The whole direction is to keep J.Crew very J.Crew and whether that’s colour, print or a mix of men’s and women’s, high-low. These are constant ideas in my head every day.