In the past few weeks, J. Crew’s Instagram followers may have spotted a DC local in the feed. Monling Lee, who was a 2014 Washingtonian Style Setter, has made multiple appearances before the brand’s 858,000 followers. The collaboration shouldn’t come as a shock, considering that Lee told Washingtonian in her Style Setters interview that J. Crew’s creative director Jenna Lyons is one of her fashion icons and wore J. Crew shoes to the photoshoot.
Lee, an architect, was approached by J. Crew after they spotted her bright, geometric Instagram profile—and her over 80,000 followers—with snaps taken in front of colorful buildings all over the District. “They reached out to me just after the new year and asked me to plan several looks choosing at least five accessories from their spring collection,” says Lee. Using the hashtag “#accessoryfix,” she’s highlighted J. Crew’s Parker crossbody bag, suede d’Orsay flats, and uptown tote, showing off the brand’s bold color blocking aesthetic for spring.
Take a look at some of the photos J. Crew has been snagging from Lee’s feed, then check out their post on their spring collection.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
