Photography by Bryan Derballa.

Check back daily for behind-the-scenes glimpses of the action as we get ready for
our fall 2013 presentation during New York Fashion Week on February 12th
at Lincoln Center.

And be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter @jcrew for
of-the-moment updates on our show.

Shop our entire denim selection here.

Photography by Bryan Derballa.

Check back daily for behind-the-scenes glimpses of the action as we get ready for
our fall 2013 presentation during New York Fashion Week on February 12th
at Lincoln Center.

And be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter @jcrew for
of-the-moment updates on our show.

What’s your style mantra?
Dress like yourself.

What’s the thing that you love most about living in Los Angeles?
Paddleboarding in Paradise Cove and eating lunch with my kids on the beach in January.

What’s your travel vice?
A huge stack of magazines, sappy movies, a New York Times best seller
and a glass of wine on the plane.

Malibu musts…
The new beachside Nobu for drinks and dinner—you’ll feel like you’ve checked into an
Aman resort in the Tropics.

For shopping, it’s the Malibu Lumber Yard (J.Crew is there!) and Hidden
Treasures, a vintage store in Topanga Canyon. Kate Moss is a rabid fan, which is
to say that it’s chock-full of amazing finds.

I am obsessed with the almond milk at the Pressed Juicery trailer stationed
outside the Malibu Lumber Yard. They serve up the tastiest, good-for-you
blended juices.

Malibu Country Mart for stellar celeb spotting. (There’s also a small playground
that my kids love.)

On his light, escapist approach to travel…
“One of the plans this year is to disappear. To find some small town in Southern
Spain where we can rent a room on the cheap, drink wine in the only bar in town
and drink coffee there in the morning…and have to walk somewhere to find an
internet connection. For a trip like this, you bring next to nothing—just a small
bag. You don’t need more than a pair of swim trunks during the day anyway.”

On the importance of being prepared…
“I knew an older photographer who told me, ‘Always have a clean white shirt in
your bag, because you never know who is going to invite you for dinner.’ I’m
taking that up a notch and packing a suit jacket this time.”

What else he always travels with (aside from his cameras, a well-worn
map pouch, his knife, and a nice watch)…
“I’ve been wearing this little Saint Christopher charm a friend of mine had picked
up in Jamaica when he traveled there back in the ’80s and passed on to me.
I’ve worn it every day now for seven years.”

On what a Polaroid guy shoots when there’s no more Polaroid film (it’s
practically extinct)…
“I’ve got 20-plus packs of really fresh Polaroid film and then another 30 to 40 of
expired film that still does some interesting things when you shoot it. I’m looking
forward to the end… Everything ends—that’s the point. That’s what gives things
their value. I’ll just put that camera down and do something else.”

To shop all of Kennedy’s J.Crew picks, click here.

What makes Los Angeles feel like home?
My coffee machine.

A place in Los Angeles that reminds you of New York…
LAX.

The biggest misconception about Angelenos…
That they are much slower paced.

What’s your favorite thing about being a denim designer?
No boundaries.

Truthfully, how many pairs of jeans do you own?
Four.

What makes for a great-fitting jean?
The number of hours you work on it.

Definition of a stylish guy…
Ernest Hemingway.

The woman who wore denim best…
Norma Jeane Baker.

Your most prized possession…
My pen.

Shop the Goldsign for J.Crew collaboration, which includes two jean styles and
a skirt, in stores now and online at jcrew.com starting on February 27th.

WITH MORE THAN SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE on the planet, you have to
make an effort to be somebody or else you’ll fail on Facebook, get dropped on
Twitter. Your name may be forgotten, your number lost. The solution to identity
in an age of teeming masses is setting yourself apart stylistically.

Consider the venerable monogram—it’s a traditional nicety that has long been a
mark of personal style. Today’s monogram consists of three letters: the initials of
your first, middle and last names. I did the math and thought that there were more
than 2.5 trillion possible permutations of three letters in our 26-letter alphabet,
meaning that it’s about as unique as your DNA. Then the math guy said it’s only
17,576. That’s still pretty exclusive.

We live in a landscape that is covered with corporate logos. If individuals are
going to compete today, we need logos too. The monogram is an elegant way to
make your mark. It’s your name boiled down to the essence, executed with graphic
artistry. It’s as old as the coat of arms and it was used as a hallmark in metalwork,
ceramics and graphics, marking the genuine article.

The wealthy took to monogramming in the 19th century, marking books, cigarette
cases, lighters, the silver, the towels in the bath, the bottles in a cellar and the shirts
in the closet—things small enough to steal—but eventually the monogram became
a matter of pride.

Famous men are known by their monogram. The typesetter’s friend, it enhanced
the celebrity of well-initialed persons. TSE: T.S. Eliot. RLS: Robert Louis
Stevenson. FDR: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Kennedy brothers: JFK, RFK,
EMK. And the two LBJs: Lyndon Baines Johnson and LeBron James.

The shirt monogram began in grand households or colleges where many shirts
were laundered together—the elegant ancestor of today’s laundry mark. Now the
monogram isn’t there for the laundry, but for the ego. It used to be said that the
proper place for the monogram is over the heart. Flashier dressers have long
favored the shirt cuff, as it will be noted in a handshake, at the card table, lighting
a lady’s cigar. “Trad” guys may wince, but it’s your damn shirt!

When it comes to kids, you can’t start too soon. Monograms are nicer than
taped-in names. If anyone is more likely to lose his shirt than a poker player, it is a
sixth grader. My luggage is monogrammed and it’s one more “Hello!” to keep me
from making a mistake at the luggage carousel after a long and disorienting flight.

Why limit monograms to your initials? My friend Andy Spade wears shirts
monogrammed EDW. He bought them in a thrift shop and liked the randomness.
And think of Elvis Presley, who had TCB (“Taking Care of Business”)
monogrammed on everything. Three letters can spell out your interests and
attitudes: FYI, TKO, BYO, ETC, IPO?

Why is your monogram TBD? My motto is “To Be Determined.” CWB? I won
this shirt from Charles Barkley in a card game. LXI? I have a hundred white shirts
and this is number 61. If someone asks you about your monogram, tell them you’re
thinking of getting a tattoo but you’re just trying it out first. Tell them the X stands
for the unknown. Express yourself. Put it in writing.

For more ideas on how to make it your own, click here.

Hometown…
I was born and raised in Malibu and live in Los Angeles.

What makes LA feel like home?
My family, my babies, my friends are here. I truly love Los Angeles.

My CFDA experience in 5 words or less…
Challenging, life-changing, inspiring, incredible.

If I weren’t designing jewelry I’d be…
I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Most treasured piece in my jewelry box…
That’s like picking a favorite when you have two kids! Between the pieces
from my grandmother, the jewelry from my dad and my husband, the
pieces I’ve made for Ruby (my daughter) and the charm necklaces she’s
made for me—I love them all. Each one has a special story.

Check back regularly for more on our CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund
partnership and explore the CFDA winners’ first visit
to the J.Crew offices here.