Somsack Sikhounmuong steps down as J. Crew's chief design officer

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Sep 7, 2017

Sikhounmuong is the latest to leave the struggling retailer, following the departures of Jenna Lyons and Mickey Drexler. He had worked at the company in various roles since 2001.

 
Sikhounmuong took over Lyons’ role as chief design officer in April. He was previously the women’s head of design at J. Crew, and prior to that held various design positions both at J. Crew and its sister company Madewell. Rather than replacing him, J. Crew will spread his responsibilities to various other members of the company.
 
“His current responsibilities, which include the oversight of all product design, will be transitioned to other members of our very seasoned and talented design team currently in place,” the company said in a statement.

He is the third major player from the retailer to leave this year. In April, Jenna Lyons announced she would step down as president and creative director after 26 years at the company. She will remain on as a creative advisor until the end of her contract in December.
 
Lyons’ exit was followed by Mickey Drexler announcing he would step down as CEO in June. Drexler remains chairman of J. Crew’s board of directors, while James Brett succeeded him as CEO.
 
J. Crew has struggled to maintain relevancy, with sales dropping 7 percent in its most recent quarter. Its sister brand Madewell remains strong however, with sales climbing 11 percent.