TikTokers can't stop talking about the style of J.Crew's new womenswear design chief, and it's boosting brand image

• J.Crew's new womenswear and kids design chief has gained a large fan base online.
• Olympia Gayot posts weekly mirror selfies of her outfits, which largely include J.Crew products.

J.Crew's new womenswear design chief is whipping the TikTok fashion crowd into a frenzy.

41-year-old Olympia Gayot has built up a fan club online by posting weekly mirror selfies to her Instagram page from her office at J.Crew's New York HQ. These photos, showcasing many of her favorite daily J.Crew looks, are being shared on TikTok by fans – helping to elevate the brand image online, and according to J.Crew: boost sales.

Gayot explained in a recent interview with Harpers Bazaar that the genesis of "Olympia's picks," which has now become a monthly curated assortment on J.Crew's website, was somewhat accidental.

She was posting her workplace outfits on her private Instagram page when company execs advised her to go public and show these off to the masses. There are now 1.2 million Olympia Gayot hashtags on TikTok, featuring videos of her megafans praising "the queen of chic," while sharing and commenting on her outfit selections.

A spokesperson for J.Crew told Harpers Bazaar that its women's business has seen consistent growth since Gayot shared her collections and a boost in sales from her posts. The company declined to comment further when contacted by Insider.

Vogue said it's her "nonchalant," laid-back style that's appealing to shoppers. Gayot, a working mother-of-two, says the aim is to showcase daily outfits that are practical for women who commute, do the school run, and go straight out to drinks after work.

But her brand influence is strongly reminiscent of Jenna Lyons, J.Crew's former creative director, who became the face of J.Crew and whose signature geek-chic look inspired much of its aesthetic. Gayot previously worked under Lyons at J.Crew before she left for a stint at Victoria's Secret.

She rejoined the company just months after its darkest hour when it filed for bankruptcy at the start of the pandemic after years of sliding sales and being saddled with a mountain of debt.

The business has since reemerged under new leadership and been financially bolstered by hedge fund Anchorage Capital Group, which bought a majority stake in the company.

Gayot told Harpers that when she joined in September 2020, a few months pregnant, she was apprehensive.

"Oh my gosh, if I go to J.Crew while I'm pregnant, during a pandemic, and I have to, like, turn this ship or figure out how to really make things happen — this is going to be so much work," she recalled.

New CEO Libby Wadle told The Wall Street Journal in the summer of 2022 that the company is now profitable. A spokesperson for the company would not comment on current sales numbers when contacted by Insider. As it is privately listed, it is not required to share financials.