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insiderUP FRONT × NEWSMAKERS × ON DEADliNECrew’sControlTom Mora, head of women’sdesign for J. Crew, soundsoff on taking the footwearbusiness to the next level.by lauren dilelloPHOTO: RObeRT MiTRaJ. Crew’s Fifth Avenuestore in New YorkAs it expands its vision ofAmericana globally, J. Crew ispushing shoes in a major way.“Footwear continues to bea big growth [category] for us,and we are extremely excited about thefuture,” said Tom Mora, head of women’sdesign for the retailer, adding thatthe company adopted a more aggressiveapproach to the category for fall.“We spoke loudly about [shoes] in thecatalog and online and created amazingsalons in many of our stores,” he said.J. Crew is making sure footwear hasprime placement as it expands globally.In August, the retailer bowed itsfirst international store in Toronto, a5,000-sq.-ft. space offering women’sclothing and accessories.The company also is ramping upits virtual presence across the globe.While the company already had a successfule-commerce site serving Japan,J. Crew recently launched online shopscatering to the U.K., German, Italianand French markets, and additionalrollouts are in the works.Mora, who was tapped for his currentposition in September after 10 years invarious roles at the firm, said he is lookingto fuel growth in footwear by makingit a standalone segment as opposed tobeing a companion piece to apparel.The J. Crew-branded footwear offer-NOVEMBER 28, 2011 | | 11FN1128P11,12.indd 111122201119145111/22/11 7:14 PM