Welcome to The Scoop, our weekly email series where we ask fashion insiders about the week’s top stories. This is a chance for the Vogue Business community to digest the latest headlines and enjoy a special insider look every Friday.

This week, we’re joined by Jian DeLeon, Nordstrom’s men’s fashion director. After editorial roles at nearly every magazine that shaped the menswear revival of the past decade (and the hypebeast culture that followed), Jian moved into retail in 2020. It’s an interesting shift. I also spent some time at Selfridges after the pandemic, which I loved, but found the pace very different from media.

I could have talked to Jian about that forever, but with menswear season in full swing, we focused on the latest from Nordstrom and Pitti, where he’s been all week.

Hi Jian, what’s the scoop?

I’m in Florence for Pitti, where a lot happens during aperitivo hour. After this call, I’m heading to an event by J. Mueser, a New York-based tailoring company. The founder, Jake, has built a really strong business over the last few years and attracted a very diverse audience. We’re about to launch the brand at Nordstrom—we’ll be their first major retailer—and I’m excited to celebrate that partnership. Especially since a new creative director will be announced soon at J. Mueser, who also happens to be a dear friend of mine.

How did the partnership come about?

Menswear is a tight-knit community. Jake and I had a lot of mutual friends, and I’d been following how he was growing his business. We met up at the Chicago Collective trade show, then again in New York. In the end, it was just about finding the right way and the right time to work together.

He brings a younger approach to tailoring, and his audience is incredibly broad—from everyday people to industry insiders. He’s made suits for the guys from ‘Throwing Fits’ and for GQ correspondent Sam Hines’s brother’s wedding. It’s a great brand for me to be involved with because it feels exactly what a modern, bespoke suit maker from New York should be. It’s the perfect suit to buy after your first one.

What defines a modern suit?

What I like about Jake’s approach is that the fit is classic—not too skinny, but not oversized either. You might see a snap-button Western shirt or a Tencel shirt underneath, rather than a stiff spread-collar style. It encourages guys to have fun with tailoring, or at least dress it down so it feels less stuffy. As you know, the best way to get men to wear anything is to make them feel comfortable in it. How do you relax a suit so it feels like something you want to wear, not something you have to?

This Pitti featured a suit walk. Our generation has dressed very casually, even for events or the office. But are men about to start dressing like my dad, who wore a suit to work every day in the ’90s?

I think guys are rediscovering and enjoying the art of getting dressed. You see this on the red carpet too—a classic elegance expressed in new ways, whether through accessories like brooches, or different textures and patterns like velvet and checks. Or simply by being open to different colors.

Jonathan Anderson has reimagined ties at Dior. Ralph Lauren is having a resurgence and is about to show in Milan. A Brunello Cucinelli documentary is coming out later this year. And the recent passing of Mr. Armani made people reflect on his huge impact on menswear and find inspiration in it. Even the US government is telling people to dress up for the airport—why wear sweatpants? So culturally, there’s also this interesting push to return to a more conservative way of dressing, even with its complicated associations.

We have been seeing this same turn toward conservatism…I’m seeing this trend in menswear too for the new season—I call it “mall prep.” It’s a return to a time when style was more of a monoculture. You’d see the perfect washed cargo pants at Abercrombie & Fitch, and the same thing at Brunello Cucinelli. It’s about uniform dressing and playing with those classic tropes to achieve an effortless balance. Think of the quarter-zip jersey top Jonathan Anderson showed on the runway this summer—you can find that at Drake’s, but also at Dior.

This influences my buying approach a bit differently for menswear. We don’t go to market looking for a specific type of product. It’s more about identifying who is the best in each category and how we build a story around that.

Beyond clothing, men are increasingly embracing cosmetic tweakments. This makes sense, especially as millennials approach 40. Publications like GQ are exploring how to move away from the toxic idea that men shouldn’t care about their appearance. Why shouldn’t they? If it boosts your confidence and mental health, it’s a positive extension of self-care and recognizing your own self-worth.

On the topic of millennials, the nostalgia for 2016 is trending. I think a lot of this introspection comes from millennials confronting their own mortality. We’re the first generation to come of age on social media, and this is a test case for how Gen Z or Gen Alpha might view their current TikToks a decade from now. Our parents didn’t have that—our childhoods are preserved on old VHS tapes, but most of us still have high-resolution photos from 2016 on our phones.

I turned 40 last year, so I’m part of this, but I also see it as a fascinating cultural shift. This phenomenon didn’t exist before. Our parents were figuring out how to use Facebook, and now we’re becoming the parents, but without the same technological struggles. It’s more like, “Wow, my parents are constantly online.”

You can catch up on last week’s Scoop interview with Golden Goose CEO Silvio Campara here.

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about The Inside Story on Nordstroms Jian DeLeon designed to answer questions from basic to more detailed

Beginner General Questions

1 Who is Jian DeLeon
Jian DeLeon is a wellknown fashion editor writer and creative director He is currently the Editorial Creative Director at Nordstrom where he leads the brands content and creative vision particularly for its mens offerings

2 What is The Inside Story at Nordstrom
The Inside Story is Nordstroms editorial platform and content hub It features style guides trend reports designer interviews and shopping adviceessentially a digital magazine curated by Nordstroms inhouse experts including Jian DeLeon

3 What does Jian DeLeon actually do at Nordstrom
He shapes Nordstroms menswear narrative His job involves curating product selections forecasting trends creating editorial content collaborating with designers and establishing Nordstrom as a leading voice in mens fashion

4 Why is he important to Nordstrom
He bridges the gap between high fashion and the everyday customer His credibility in the industry and his accessible approach help make trends understandable and wearable which builds trust and drives informed purchases

Advanced IndustryFocused Questions

5 What was his background before Nordstrom
Before Nordstrom Jian was the Deputy Editor at Highsnobiety a leading digital publication in streetwear and contemporary fashion He has also held roles at Complex and Details magazine building a reputation for his deep knowledge of sneakers streetwear and global style

6 How has he influenced Nordstroms mens fashion direction
He has significantly elevated Nordstroms focus on contemporary streetwear emerging designers and hype brands alongside traditional luxury Youll now find brands like Aimé Leon Dore Noah and Stone Island featured prominently reflecting his curated point of view

7 What are some of his signature style philosophies or tips he often shares
He often emphasizes investment dressing mixing high and low and paying attention to proportion and fit over chasing every fleeting trend