Style Maven

by | May 30, 2017 | Alumni Profiles, Spring/Summer 2017

Joyce Lee ’00 has been hooked on fashion since she was a kid. “Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around my obsession with clothing and accessories,” said Lee, who studied textiles and clothing at UC Davis. “Oftentimes, when I couldn’t convince my mom to buy me something at the mall, I would go home and try to make it myself.” Those early efforts led to a career in fashion that included stints at Levi’s, Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs. In 2015, Lee was named head of design at Madewell, the J.Crew sister brand known for understated looks. Prior to that, Lee had been at Madewell for seven years, most recently as head of accessories. “It has been a lot of fun thinking about our customers’ needs on a much broader scope,” Lee said of her new role. These days, Madewell is thriving even as other specialty apparel retailers falter. In fact, the brand recently expanded its line to include intimates. “I would love for Madewell to expand into more categories so we can reach our customer in more facets of her life,” Lee said. “And I would hope that my point of view guides Madewell into the future.”