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Given this celebrated makeover, its not surprising that one of the voices in Thursday nights hourlong CNBC documentary about Drexler, J.Crew and the Man Who Dressed America, is Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue and one of the most savvy and puissant forces in fashion.

You can walk the floor with Mickey Drexler and he knows every piece of clothing, an immaculately bobbed Wintour tells CNBC anchor David Faber. You see lots of CEOs who are brilliant at what they do, but theyre removed, and theres nothing removed about Mickey.

Which is perhaps Wintours delicate way of saying that Drexler is a micro-manager. The question that this documentary poses in several smart ways is if a company is successful, is micro-managing such a bad thing? In Drexlers case, the answer seems to be no.

The 67-year-old, who evaluates nearly everything that hits the sales floor, makes his presence well known at the company, from dropping in on stores and drilling managers to regularly addressing employees through an intercom system in J.Crews corporate offices like a chatty school principal, with a stream of announcements and witticisms.

As the CNBC crew documents, when Drexler sees a polka-dot dress or shawl-collar sweater that catches his eye, he excitedly says Hello! Hello! as if greeting a sexy new friend. And when he doesnt like something, it disappears in a flash.

His acumen and trained eye are part of the reason why first lady Michelle Obama is regularly spotted in the brand and J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons has risen to the rank of fashion royalty.

The documentary is a fascinating look at Drexlers world and that of a company straddling the line between aspirational and obtainable clothing. But The Man Who Dressed America doesnt provide a lot of new information.

Originally posted here:
TV review: J. Crew honcho story has holes