at the heim of j.crew one of the most loved fashion brands in the world, is an unlikely duo. The unusual pairing of 44 years old creative head and president Jenna Lyons and 68 years old chairman CEO millard "mickey" drexler is more than just may-December, female-male juxtaposition. drexler, know to be crotchety, vituperative and obsessive, actively sought out Lyons when he became the top executive at J.crew in 2003, following his humiliating firing from the Gap inc. Jenna Lyons hallmark characteristics is her quite honestly, which was pivotal on the first day worked together. On Drexler's first day, he announced to the entire creative staff that they were all re interviewing for their jobs. Drexler told Lyons to go through the women's collection and asked her what she thought about the garments. Lyons was honest and pointed out what she did and didn't like, the latter including a million dollars selling sweater. in the end Lyon's candor established her as someone Drexler could trust and therefore kept her job. this early interaction was a formative one that put Lyons in a position to act as translator negotiator and editor both with and on behalf of Drexler. Drexler decided that J.Crew would sell only what they loved rather than dictate clothing lines through corporate strategy. Drexler as the hard nosed executive and Lyons as the creative have formed a winning business relationship that has tripled the annual revenue of the company ($2.2 billion in 2012)