Eckhaus Latta & J.Crew Are Running Back the Sweater of 2026 — And Then Some
Every year, there's one masterpiece mass-market crossover item. The JW Anderson UNIQLO blanket scarf. The COS quilted bag. Brands can't manufacture this hype — they can only pray for it.
A contender for 2026's sweater of the year, Eckhaus Latta's J.Crew Rollneck is as good an entrant into the fray as any. It veritably exploded across the internet back in February, instantly vanishing upon multiple releases.
Good collaborations are good surprises. Eckhaus Latta's J.Crew team-up was that. But good collaborations must also be, y'know, good. And Eckhaus Latta's J.Crew Rollneck sweater was also that. It was kinda crazy, actually, as far as rollneck sweaters are concerned. It's just that good. Chunky knit, latte hues, abstract accents. The quintessential easy-cool transitional toss-on layer. Simple perfection.
So perfect that Eckhaus Latta and J.Crew are running it back — and then some.
For J.Crew, Eckhaus Latta has created an entire capsule of classic clothes gone Eckhaus, just like the Rollneck. In fact, it even includes new Rollnecks! (What a crazy word to say this many times) Plus, a cohesive collection of wardrobe staples done up the Eckhaus way which, according to cofounders Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, felt quite natural. We spoke with them and Olympia Gayot, Creative Director of Women’s and Kids at J.Crew, about how the second dose of Eckhaus x J.Crew came to be.
What was your reaction to the response elicited by Eckhaus Latta's Rollneck sweater?
Gayot: We were thrilled by the response. The entire Rollneck Remix project was conceived as a creative experiment, so seeing customers embrace it with such immediacy was incredibly affirming.
The Eckhaus Latta Rollneck sold out almost as soon as it launched and was the first style to disappear at our subsequent pop-up. It proved that people were responding not only to the product, but to the creative exchange between our brands. It also gave us the confidence to explore what that conversation could become on a much larger scale.
And why do you think the Eckhaus Latta resonated so hard with consumers?
Gayot: Mike and Zoe understood what makes the Rollneck iconic, but they did not treat it too preciously. Their interpretation retained the familiarity and emotional resonance of the original while introducing an entirely new proportion and point of view. It felt surprising, but still incredibly wearable.
I also think customers sensed that the collaboration was authentic. It was not Eckhaus Latta simply placing its signature on a J.Crew sweater. They genuinely reconsidered the piece through their own design language.
Which feels true for this entire capsule, which is inspired by vintage J.Crew catalogs...?
We wanted to preserve the experimentation, individuality, and unpretentious New York energy. that make Eckhaus Latta so distinctive At the same time, the collection needed to begin with something recognizably J.Crew: our icons, quality, wearability and emotional familiarity. The catalogs became a major source of inspiration, revealing an era of the brand that already possessed a little downtown tension.
Okay, for Mike and Zoe, talk to us about how it felt to work on the J.Crew Rollneck.
Eckhaus Latta: The Rollneck was a funny starting point for us, because when we were asked to do it we were like “this garment feels so Eckhaus Latta.” There is an implied unfinished quality to an actual rollneck that we relate to and have explored in our work for years. The hand and ease have an everydayness that we strive to have in our garments, so it was a bizarrely natural process reinterpreting J.Crew’s iconic version.
How did that attitude inform your take on the J.Crew wardrobe?
Eckhaus Latte: It was rather simple to maintain each brand’s identity. J.Crew has a world of foundational garments that are distinct archetypes. Working from such a clear point of reference and considering how to make it “Eckhaus Latta” while never getting too far away from the origin allows for there to be a tension in the clothes that is harmonious.
There was a constant dialogue between us and the J.Crew design team when it came to approaching each piece - how to dissect, how to push-and-pull. It was essential to us that what we created did not deviate too far from the source material and would speak to the J.Crew customer in the same manner it would to that of the Eckhaus Latta customer and ideally reveal something new to them about both brands they did not expect.
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