Prep is everywhere these days. From argyle sweaters on the runways to Lilly Pulitzer relaunching its preppy-inspired menswear collection Men’s Stuff last month, the New England-born aesthetic is still a force to be reckoned with in fashion.
And now, one of the people responsible for its resurgence is taking a break. Jack Carlson, who founded the modern prep brand Rowing Blazers in 2017, announced this week that he will be stepping away from the brand entirely. After selling the brand to Tory Burch co-founder Christopher Burch last year, Carlson had stayed on as a creative advisor since the sale. Now, he’s disengaging from the brand entirely to focus on other endeavors.
Exactly what those endeavors will be is still up in the air, but Carlson told Glossy he hopes to continue designing and will certainly remain in the fashion industry.
“I’ve had so many different careers,” he said in an interview on Friday. “Before starting Rowing Blazers, I was an athlete on the U.S. rowing team, training full time at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego. Before that, I taught ancient history and coached rowing at a boarding school in Massachusetts. And before that, I was an academic and a field archaeologist in Italy. I’m just going to keep following my passions. But yes, I’d like to do something else in fashion and in design more broadly.”
Carlson said the collaborations he did at Rowing Blazers with watch brands like Seiko, Tag Heuer, Tudor and Zodiac were especially fulfilling, so more watch design could be in his future. At Rowing Blazers, Carlson was wide-ranging in his collaborations, working with a variety of brands like Gucci, Noah, J. Crew and Umbro. Even after he sold the brand, he continued to oversee Rowing Blazers’ collaborations, with Spanish womenswear brand La Veste and with the fictional character Paddington Bear.
Under his leadership, Rowing Blazers grew to be around $25 million in annual sales, created an expansive collection for Target and helped relaunch the iconic British knitwear brand Warm & Wonderful, known for being a favorite of Princess Diana. It’s been worn by everyone from Timothée Chalamet to Hailey Bieber and described by GQ as “the brand that’s saving prep.”
Rowing Blazers’ growth also coincided with a renaissance for many of the quintessential prep brands. Ralph Lauren has remained a giant in preppy fashion, but brands like J. Crew and Banana Republic have been making solid comebacks in the last few years. Last year, rugby shirts and other preppy looks were released by brands like The Row and Dries van Noten, and the trend has continued this year with those looks rolling out to brands like Cos and H&M.
Rowing Blazers co-founder David Rosenzweig also left the brand last year. Rowing Blazers, under the ownership of Chris Burch’s Burch Creative Capital, remains focused on rolling out new collaborations, including with more cultural properties like Winnie the Pooh and Babar the Elephant. It’s spring 2025 collection was also released on Friday.
For Carlson, the prevalence of these prep-inspired looks showcase how the term and the aesthetic have evolved in the last decade.
“The word ‘preppy’ means something very different today compared to eight years ago when David [Rosenzweig] and I were starting the brand,” he said. “Back then, friends in the industry were advising me not to start the brand because ‘preppy’ was on the outs and had all sorts of negative connotations. I’d like to think what we’ve been doing these past few years has helped to change that. Today, that vernacular is viewed as more inclusive, approachable and fun. Now is a good time for Rowing Blazers and for ‘preppy,’ in general.”
