Not many people would have expected a relatively quiet street in London’s Bloomsbury to play host to one of the most eagerly anticipated UK fashion launches in recent years.

Not many people would have expected a relatively quiet street in London’s Bloomsbury to play host to one of the most eagerly anticipated UK fashion launches in recent years.

But J Crew is not your average fashion brand. As such, it has chosen a rather quirky and intriguing property strategy to launch its first stores outside North America.

J Crew’s first UK store opened yesterday on Lamb’s Conduit Street. While the fashion glitterati may have turned up to see the US giant’s first foray into UK retailing, it was a discreet opening for a big brand.

The actual store – dedicated to menswear - even looks discreet. The shop, covering just 1,400 sq ft, is called 38 Lamb’s Conduit, and there is barely any mention of J Crew on the fascia. In short, if you weren’t in the know, you could easily walk right past it. 

In another break from the norm, J Crew is also opening a womenswear boutique in Brompton Cross next month.

The strategy, devised by property agent Harper Dennis Hobbs, is a far cry away from other US giants that have landed in the UK with great fanfare. Take Lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret. It made a splash for its debut, with two high-profile stores in Westfield Stratford City and Bond Street.

Forever 21 opened its first store on these shores in a giant unit in Birmingham’s Bull Ring, and followed it with a huge shop on Oxford Street, among other locations.

There is something quite unique about J Crew’s property approach that reflects boss Mickey Drexler’s willingness to test the boutique market. It is a gamble, but an educated one. Both Lamb’s Conduit Street and Brompton Cross attract high-end shoppers with high levels of disposable income; a necessity for J Crew and its premium prices. And if the gamble doesn’t pay off, J Crew will at least have its 17,000 sq ft flagship on Regent Street, set to open next month, to fall back on.

The brand has also made efforts to tap into London’s fashion scene to create a buzz around its British entrance. The retailer opened a pop-up store for two days in May in King’s Cross outside prestigious fashion and art school Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. It also has plans to collaborate with students from the school.

J Crew has caused a bit of stir with its initial opening and, if its clever property strategy is anything to go by, we can expect more surprising and ingenious things from the US brand. However, success in the UK is not a given and in the face of fierce competition from the likes of Ted Baker, Hobbs, Whistles and Reiss, J Crew cannot afford to rest on its laurels.