Prepping for growth: Rowing Blazers’ new CEO is just the beginning
Last week, the preppy US-based lifestyle and apparel brand Rowing Blazers appointed Laura Willensky as its new chief executive officer.
Before her appointment at Rowing Blazers, Willensky held key leadership positions at J.Crew, Victoria’s Secret Beauty, Talbots, and Away. In the early stages of her career, Willensky helped lead Madewell and children’s brand Janie & Jack from inception and brand launch to profitability and national recognition.
Willensky is the company’s second major hire since its acquisition by Burch Creative Capital, an investment firm founded by Christopher Burch, who is also the co-founder of Tory Burch LLC, and whose portfolio includes brands like Staud, Solid & Striped, Danielle Guizio, and BaubleBar.
In a public release, Burch stated “We are so excited to have Laura join Rowing Blazers as our CEO. I am confident that her track record in apparel and deep experience as a merchant will have an incredible impact on our customers, our community and our business.”
How Rowing Blazers pulled off a successful gamble
Rowing Blazers was founded by designer, archaeologist, and former US national team rower Jack Carlson in 2017.
Carlson, a longtime fan of the rowing aesthetic and classic collegiate and Americana styles popularised by designers such as Ralph Lauren, set out to create a company that redefined the concept of “prep”.
On the launch of the brand, Carlson commented, “Many of our friends advised us, for our own good, not to start the Rowing Blazers brand. ‘Preppy is over, it’s dead,’ they said. When I told people we were going to do rugby shirts in a big way, the rugby shirt was dead too. ‘You mean the shirts little kids used to wear? With the rubber buttons and white collars?’ We politely disregarded all of this well-intentioned advice and went ahead anyway.”
The company began by creating rowing blazers, in neutral and neon-hued tones, and has since diversified into a wider range of apparel and accessories, from sweaters to watches. In addition, Rowing Blazers has released limited-edition collaborations with luxury brands and retailers like Gucci, Tudor, Seiko, and Tag Heuer.
Last September, Rowing Blazers teamed up with the big-box retailer Target to launch an accessibly-priced collection, featuring over 100 SKUs ranging from lifestyle goods like a chess set to more affordable versions of the brand’s well-known blazers. The collection was well-received by fashion editors and consumers alike, with several items selling out almost immediately post-launch.
Since selling the majority stake of the company to Burch Creative Capital, Carlson remains on the team as the creative director.
What’s next in store for Rowing Blazers?
A statement released by Rowing Blazers confirmed that the brand has plans to significantly expand upon its women’s offering, enhance its core offering, and expand its distribution channels, which includes opening a new bricks-and-mortar flagship.
In 2017, Rowing Blazers opened its first pop-up shop in New York City’s Lower East Side, before officially opening its first flagship store in 2019 on Grand Street, then reopening a new, larger space on 8 Rivington Street in 2022.
The company’s latest bricks-and-mortar location closed in 2024, but Carlson has teased that “we’re moving to a bigger spot that can fit our growing brand (and all of the exciting things we have planned for the future)!”
As for the future of the brand, Willensky commented, “I am incredibly inspired by everything that Jack and the Rowing Blazers team have achieved, and I see a clear opportunity to grow the business through amazing products and an unmatched experience for our customers. I am eager to lead the brand through such an exciting period of growth and expansion — both into new product categories and new markets.”
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