J Brand says a hard goodbye to Jeff Rudes, chief executive and co-founder of the company, as he stepped down from his position on Tuesday.
Teaming up with Andrew Rosen from Fast Retailing, a Japanese retailing holding company, may or may not be what drove Rudes from the top spot. Roughly 80 percent of J Brand was sold to Fast Retailing two years ago, and his interest in the company’s establishment has since declined.
“It was a great partnership with Fast Retailing. But I have a project that was planned over five years ago. It will be my last ‘hurrah’ in the industry,” said Rudes.
After nine years of building the brand, the denim guru has mastered how to turn heads with his mod wardrobe staple. He may have mastered the skinny jean look – but his new motives are anything but narrow minded. Sources say his current plans entail extravagant merchandise made in Italy. What those products are, however, has not yet been released.
Paris Hilton, Reese Witherspoon, Katie Holmes, Victoria Beckham and many more have all been seen sporting the popular pants. Will these jean junkies continue to support the brand knowing the mastermind behind the look is no longer? Looks like only time will tell.
