The burnishing of Joie these past couple of years, from contemporary California bohemian into a somewhat more polished player, has elevated it to an enviable position financially—and freshly appointed CEO James Miller, an alum of Ralph Lauren, is hatching big plans.
During a showroom visit, Miller said that a sharp focus on details—texturized fabrics, mixed-media knits, fringe, laser cuts, and burnouts—had resonated with the Joie base, boosting the bottom line and prompting the brand to look farther than its own backyard, literally and figuratively.
Hawaiian prints, South American influences, and architecture were just some of the global currents defining the Spring collection. Key looks included higher twists on the white-shirt-with-jeans theme, in a devoré fringe paired with ’70s-redux denims, or a laser-cut eyelet top with acid-wash cropped flares. Everyday “feminine utilitarian” staples included jumpsuits in navy or floral print, a perfecto-inspired linen jacket, and streamlined cargos with deep patch pockets and a front slit. The brand cast a wide net on dresses with varying results, from a short, flounced chambray dress that skewed a bit girly to a boatneck black and white print that looked on trend and polished.
As a California brand, Joie is attuned to sustainability, and to that end Miller said that by this time next year, 75% of its offer would be based on organic, natural fabrics and treatments like silks, cottons, organic dyes, and slub linens, representing a threefold improvement over the recent past.
All of which leaves Joie eyeing the prospect of bringing the brand’s aesthetic to Europe and beyond. The wind is at Miller’s back: Joie is striving for more polish, while the world continues to dress down. That the two will converge is self-evident; what is trickier is landing that je ne sais quoi that will catch a Parisienne’s eye. The brand has a French name. That’s a start, anyway.
