Inside the World of a J.Crew Catalogue

Sarah Paulson and Karla Welch have the chemistry and banter of longtime friends. They practically finish each other’s sentences, which is to be expected since the actress and stylist have been collaborating for almost a decade. “I trust her implicitly,” Paulson says. “It’s this wonderful marriage because she pushes me and, at the same time, respects my comfort zone.”

It helps that they have similar taste — if Welch could borrow from anyone’s closet, she says it would be Paulson’s (quite the compliment, considering the celebrity stylist works with everyone from the Biebers to Tracee Ellis Ross to Olivia Wilde) — and a mutual appreciation for the process. “I’m not afraid to admit it: There is nothing more delicious and fun to me than fashion,” Paulson says.

Last night, the duo stepped out together on the first night of New York Fashion Week to celebrate a very special moment in American fashion: the return of J.Crew’s iconic fall catalogue that launched earlier this week with four nostalgic covers. The brand hosted a glitzy dinner party at the New York Public Library. It was an homage to the rich history of the catalogue and an exciting preview of what’s to come during this new era of J.Crew, ushered in by creative director Olympia Gayot.

Photo: Ben Rosser/BFA.com

During the cocktail hour, Paulson, Welch, Maggie Gyllenhaal, B.J. Novak, Riley Keough, Laura Harrier, Bowen Yang, Ella Emhoff, and other notable guests perused display cases filled with J.Crew memorabilia, including original fabric swatches, clothing tags, and Polaroids from past photo shoots, before being escorted downstairs for a seated dinner. The space was a re-creation of the legendary Manhattan restaurant La Côte Basque, frequented by Truman Capote and his famous Swans in the 1950s, complete with a stage and six-piece jazz band and a special performance by Tony Award–winning actress and singer Anika Noni Rose.

Riley Keough and Laura Harrier.
Photo: Ben Rosser/BFA.com

Between the grandiose backdrop of the library; the magnified campaign images; and the star-studded crowd clothed in cashmere sweaters, tailored blue jeans, and crisp white button-downs, entering the event felt like stepping into one of the idyllic scenes portrayed on the pages of the original catalogues.

For Paulson and millions of other Americans, the photos of beautiful people with sun-kissed skin and their equally beautiful golden retrievers playing croquette or sailing through crystal-blue waters were both mesmerizing and aspirational. “I moved around a lot as a kid. My mom, my sister, and I would move to these new apartments, and the people who lived there before would have a subscription,” she says. “That’s how I discovered the J.Crew catalogues. I wanted to live in every environment where the photos were shot, and the clothes always looked very wearable. It always seemed to be about community and family. It was almost like, if I put on that J.Crew sweater maybe I can have that life.”

Olympia Gayot, Kevin Ulrich, Carolyn Murphy, Libby Wadle, Joan Smalls, and Amber Valletta.
Photo: Ben Rosser/BFA.com

When I asked the American Horror Story star and her stylist what their dream J.Crew catalogue shoot would entail, Paulson and Welch didn’t even have to think about it. “We’re in Vancouver. I’m definitely wearing my favorite J.Crew roll-neck sweater. I’m really freckly because I’ve been in the summer, but it’s starting to become fall,” Paulson says. “And all of our dogs would be there wearing matching roll-neck sweaters,” Welch adds.

Bowen Yang and Ella Emhoff.
Photo: Ben Rosser/BFA.com

Paulson and Welch go back and forth about every last detail, from having tasseled, unbrushed hair and perfectly flushed cheeks to wearing Hunter rain boots and one of J.Crew’s classic rugby shirts, which were often featured in campaigns throughout the 1980s and ’90s. “I mean, we could go on and on,” the actress says — a true testament to the decadeslong influence of J.Crew catalogues.