Madewell Now Manwell

Madewell, the bright star in the J. Crew universe, is adding clothing for men.

GQ reported on the launch—Manill? Malegood?—noting that it’s “starting with a collection built around denim. Lots of denim,” such that 21 of the 38 introductory items are pairs of jeans. Reported Business of Fashion:

From the start, Madewell Men’s will have its own Instagram account, a differentiated shopping experience and a look that complements, but doesn’t mimic, the women’s line. The brand’s recent “Join the Party” advertising campaign — meant to underscore the label’s expanding size range — also features guys wearing the collection.

“I don’t want it to feel like it’s just a tab on the women’s site,” Madewell president Libby Wadle told BoF. “We need to be very deliberate.”

“For now, however, the expansion into men’s is primarily a wholesale play, available at 31 Nordstrom stores across the US and on Nordstrom.com. Madewell’s own fleet of more than 120 retail stores will not carry the line at present,” the site added. The move comes as J. Crew tries to shore up its business, radically pivoting to affordable clothes that fit more people in the flagship brand; the company is also plowing energy into Madewell as a whole. (“I very much believe in funding what’s working first,” CEO Jim Brett told Business of Fashion.)

Who’s the Mademan that’ll buy all these jeans? Mary Pierson, the brand’s head of denim, told GQ: “He’s cool. He’s understated,” adding, “He likes to do things: He’s active, he likes to go out, and loves his music,” but also, “Could be a little bit of a nerd.” Dudegood.