Chatting with Malcolm Crews
Malcolm talks about his family’s artistic legacy, lunchbox notes, learning Illustrator in 1992, and a serendipitous elevator encounter.
Malcolm has had great style since the day I met him and still effortlessly looks cool all the time without trying. In the fifteen years I’ve known him, I’ve learned a lot from this guy, both in life and at work. We’ve worked alongside each other at two different companies and have watched each other’s kids grow up. He’s been a source of inspiration for a long time, and I know for others, too.
Even though we no longer work together, we still meet for lunch regularly and often try to get together on weekends. Over the years, I’ve talked to Malcolm about many things but didn’t know about a lot of the things he shared below. Hopefully, you enjoy this talk as much as I did.
Before getting started I'd like to thank Malcolm and his family for finding time to allow Madoka to create such beautiful photos. You all rock!
Tell us more about yourself and your creative background.
I’m Malcolm Crews, and I live in Brooklyn, NY, with my partner and 12-year-old daughter. I’m the Senior Director of Graphics, Print & Pattern for Tommy Hilfiger. I’ve worked (almost entirely) in the fashion industry for over 30 years. I’m a graphic designer and art director who also loves to draw and take photos.
How did you get into what you’re doing now?
It was a total elevator pitch before I knew what one was. I attended Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. I was a graphic design major but had no idea what I was going to do. I always liked clothes, but never imagined working in fashion. I had a friend/classmate who was interning/freelancing/something for Tommy Hilfiger, so when I visited NYC to see an exhibit as a class assignment with another friend, we stopped by the Tommy office to say hi.
Tommy himself stepped onto the elevator with us, and immediately focused on our prep, hip hop, early 90s looks. I had dreads down to the middle of my back at the time. He asked us our names, what we were doing there, and what we did. It was probably no longer than a minute or two, but the next day, my friend called me and said that Tommy was asking him about me and when I could return.
Two days later, I was sitting in Tommy Hilfiger’s office. No portfolio. No resume. Just a Tommy tie and a bunch of nerves. I told him more about myself, school, my interest in fashion, and about being a fan of his brand since I really was. He asked if I knew the computer programs, which I barely did. This was 1992, so Illustrator and Photoshop were in their infancy. After saying yes, he called in his head of design and told him, “This is Malcolm, and he’s going to work here.” I was in shock. He asked when I could start, and I shockingly told him I had to finish school, but I’d start the day after my last class. He said there'd be a job waiting for me when I was done, then gave me a ton of clothes. On the train back to NJ, I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I started working the day after my last final exam. I taught myself the programs before starting.
What’s the project you’re most proud of?
My work at Kenneth Cole. I was based out of the marketing & advertising department. He is known for his socially conscious ads. There, I collaborated on a collection called Awearness, working with the team to create the name, logo, graphic tees, packaging, and billboard and newspaper ads for topics like equal rights, gun control, AIDS awareness, and global warming. It was a complete creative experience from conception to product to advertising for a great cause and an established brand. It was and still is very rewarding.
Describe the process you go through to turn your ideas into reality.
For my personal art, I internalize it for a long time. In the past 2 or 3 years, I’ve made a conscious effort to draw and paint more and to get off the computer.
Years ago, I participated in a show with friends in Montauk that involved my photographs. That was the first time I’ve sold a piece of my art. I use that as inspiration that once you get out of that corporate thinking, there’s still some art in you. So now I just paint and draw on paper for myself, but I’m not sure what will become of the piles of work.
What route led you to where you are today?
Since I started at Tommy at age 21, I’ve grown into adulthood with a corporate design mentality. You’re not designing for yourself. Collaboration is key to creating a cohesive collection. Don’t take things personally. Keep growing and showing that growth. Good or bad, stability has always been at the top of my mind, right alongside creativity. In my 20s and 30s, I was very willing to leave a position at a company for a more significant title or money. I was lucky that the creativity also came with it.
When did your passion for design/art start?
I grew up wanting to draw, paint, and make stuff constantly. I had an aunt who worked for PSE&G in NJ. She’d bring me these tabloid-sized stacks of lined computer paper. On the back, they were blank, so I would draw or doodle on them constantly. Art is also in the family. My aunt and uncle were/are children’s book illustrators who attended Cooper Union, so they have always been supportive and inspirational. When I was younger, they’d buy me art supplies I’d never seen before.
Who inspired you as a child?
My uncle & aunt. See above.
Where do you look to be inspired? Is it the same as before you became a parent?
I don’t have a ‘go-to’ for inspiration. I try to find it everywhere. I try not to go to the internet for personal inspiration. As great as the computer can be, it can also hold you back and make you lazy in discovery. Everyone sees the same curated images. I love taking pictures, mostly of things someone would never think to take a photo of.
Travel has always inspired me. I traveled a lot with my family growing up, and I travel for my job, so I’d like to do more of that with my daughter so that she can see different ways of life and cultures. This year, we both took our first visits to Rome and enjoyed the awe-inspiring art, architecture, and food.
What is a typical day?
Having a self-sufficient 12-year-old has been great. I make her breakfast and lunch—something I’ve always done and will miss when it’s gone. Every day since third grade, I put a small post-it note in her lunch. Usually, I make some attempts to remind her to stay positive or to have a good day with a little funny sketch. I’m sure I’ve repeated myself many times over, but she has them all saved. There are hundreds.
In the morning, we walk to the subway together and go our separate ways to work and school. I get to the office and start responding to the pile of emails that accumulated overnight since we are headquartered in Amsterdam. Most days are the same with different variations, so it feels a bit like Groundhog Day: review samples, make comments, see what the team is working on, and check in with my counterparts. Meetings are still on Zoom for some reason, even though everyone is in the office. I oversee and design our special projects and collaborations, like the Mercedes F1 team kit, which occupy much of my days. Two days of the week, we can work from home, so I sneak in pilates before work starts—old guy with a bad back.
What are some of the things you enjoy doing together? Are they the same things you did as a child?
I like the conversations she and I have been having lately. It's a great age of being able to share thoughts, feelings, and experiences. She gave me credit for “being inspiring sometimes.” We read together and recently have been watching old 80s and early 90s movies - ET, Back to the Future, etc.
I didn’t really talk to my parents in the same way my daughter and I talk. It was just a different time. Kids were kids, and parents were the adults. Feelings and emotions weren’t shared as freely as they are these days. I’ve always wanted to make sure we are both comfortable sharing everything.
I’ve also been trying to teach her how to cook and be comfortable in the kitchen.
What’s something you learned from your daughter?
To have patience. Always try to look at something through other people's eyes. Appreciate different perspectives.
What is your daughter obsessed with at the moment?
Adidas Gazelles. She has three pairs and wears her mom’s when she asks nicely.
What is one place you would love to show your daughter?
Tokyo
What’s one of your favorite people, places, or things that is no longer around?
I miss discovering something on my own or by word of mouth from friends. These days, anything good, interesting, or fun gets overrun and ruined before it even has a chance. Social media is good for many things, but I liked it when you had to earn it a little more. Passerby was a tiny bar in Chelsea, NYC, that I used to love. It's been gone for years, and I probably wouldn’t go much even if it were there, but I still miss it.
What’s something you hope is different for your daughter from when you were their age?
I think I’m in the minority when I say I think I had a great, well-balanced childhood. I hope she has many of the same things I had at twelve. I rode skateboards, played basketball and baseball, made art, played piano, mowed the lawn, did well in school, and had different types of friends. The world seemed open to whatever I wanted to try and achieve. I want her to have that.
What’s the last great book you read?
I read David Sedaris’ next-to-latest book, The Best of Me. I’m a big fan of his books. I laugh out loud, which I’ve never done from reading.
Are you reading anything at the moment?
The Upcycled Self - Tariq Black Thought Trotter (from The Roots)
What’s your daughter’s favorite book?
We read all the Harry Potter books together and then watched the movies. She liked those, which was also probably because we did it together. I’d say Wonder is her favorite book so far.
A question worth asking:
What makes you happy?
A quote worth repeating:
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. It is one of the classics, but it became a mantra for me to my daughter, who never takes failure or not being good at something instantly very well.
A piece of advice worth passing on:
Do what makes you happy. Be a good human.
Is there a product you can’t live without?
Haagen Dazs vanilla chocolate chip ice cream.
Share any four links:
creativeswantchange.org
ninacrews.com
micocinaus.com
r-and-company.com/designers/rogan-gregory/
Thanks everyone for reading this far! More interviews on deck and coming soon. See you next time.
Thomas