Inside The Preppy, Colorful & Wacky World Of Eckhaus Latta’s J.Crew Collab

You know when a celebrity host does so well at emceeing an event that they get asked back year after year (think: Nikki Glaser at the Golden Globes)? That’s a little like what happened with Zoe Latta and Mike Eckhaus of Eckhaus Latta and J.Crew. After they designed a reworked Rollneck Sweater with J.Crew earlier in the year, the duo were asked back this fall as full-fledged J.Crew collection collaborators. Spoiler alert: They crushed it again.

J.Crew’s 2020s renaissance under the purview of Olympia Gayot has seen everyone from Rouje and Christopher John Rogers to Lee lend their vision to the preppy label, but Eckhaus Latta might be the weirdest (complimentary) brand to enter the J.Crew universe. Eckhaus and Latta are known for their unconventional color combinations, knits, and cool-kid-forward ready-to-wear, which can feature anything from a shirt with a massive cut-out in the front to a pair of trousers with a zip from belly button to backside, and they deliver on their charming oddities in the 27-piece J.Crew collection.

The Rollneck is back, this time in heather gray with purple and green accents; the brand’s matching cardigan-sweater combo also makes an appearance in brown-grey. Indeed, the color palette relies on what could be considered offensive, like mustard yellow, dusty olive green, and purples, but in the capable hands of Latta and Eckhaus, they just work. Stripes are the name of the game here, especially on mohair sweaters, rugby shirts, and oversized button-downs. A relaxed jean in solid tan or butter yellow provides some calm against all the zigging and zagging. The hero outerwear includes a duffle coat cropped for your high-waisted-jean pleasure, plus a waxy jacket that feels Anglo-Saxon and Lower East Side at the same time.

The resulting campaign is also a love letter to the youth-forward culture Eckhaus Latta has curated in its 15 or so year in business. Just like the house party J.Crew threw in New York last year during fashion week, the Eckhaus Latta x J.Crew campaign takes place in a world removed from reality; instead, it leans into the “best house party ever” vibes with richly textured and patterned interiors that feel old-school and let the clothes really shine.

It’s the unusual and unexpected that has made Eckhaus Latta a household name in New York, and now, it’s ready to have the world repeat its name with the help of J.Crew. The J.Crew x Eckhaus Latta collection will be available for purchase on Sep. 15 at 10 a.m. ET, with early access via email signup available at 9 a.m. ET.