United States
Jack Carlson is a designer, author, archaeologist and former member of the U.S. rowing team. He is currently president and creative director of 124-year-old American menswear brand J. Press. Previously, he founded the brand Rowing Blazers and served as its creative director until selling the company to Tory Burch co-owners Burch Creative Capital in 2024. As a designer, Jack is known for combining obsessive historical research with a subversive take on “the classics.” He combines elements from the worlds of tailoring, sportswear, and streetwear in unusual ways and has received industry praise for his work across apparel, watches, footwear, luggage, and accessories. Jack has collaborated with a wide range of brands, including Gucci, Seiko, Barbour, Tag Heuer, Umbro, FILA, Sperry, Noah, Tudor, The Grateful Dead, J. Press, The Grateful Dead, La Martina, Spalding, Globe-Trotter, Harry’s Bar, Lands’ End, Zodiac, Eric Emanuel, Babar, Hunter, Tracksmith, New Era, Jams World, ’47, J. Crew, SEGA, LeSportsac, Puma Hoops, the NBA, K-Swiss, Beams Plus, Ralph Lauren, and Target. Jack has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, The Financial Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Monocle, Foreign Policy, Antiquity, The New England Classical Journal, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Popeye, Hypebeast, Esquire, and GQ. Jack has designed pieces that have been worn by Gwyneth Paltrow, Timothée Chalamet, Keith Richards, Dwyane Wade, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Mindy Kaling, Chloë Sevigny, Russell Westbrook, BTS, Pete Davidson, Emily Ratajkowski, and many others. A three-time member of the U.S. national rowing team, Jack won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and won both the Head of the Charles and Henley Royal Regatta in 2013. Jack earned a doctorate in archaeology at Oxford and an undergraduate degree at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown. He worked as a field archaeologist in Italy and has written on a wide variety of topics, from iron age weapons to the Arch of Constantine. Jack is a Fellow of The Explorers Club, the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Royal Numismatic Society; and a Life Member of the Archaeological Institute of America, Oxford University Boat Club, and the I.B.F. (International Bar Flies) at Harry’s Bar in Paris. Jack also serves on the board of Row New York, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people through the sport of rowing, regardless of background or ability. In 2023, he skied to the South Pole with his seventy-two-year-old father.
Jack Carlson founded the brand Rowing Blazers in 2017 after Ralph Lauren discovered his book of the same name. Combining elements from the worlds of tailoring, sportswear, and streetwear, the brand developed an international cult following and became known for its limited-edition collaborations; celebrity clientele; and inclusive, irreverent twist on American "preppy" style. As a designer, Jack is known for combining obsessive historical research with a subversive take on the classics. He has received industry praise for his work across apparel, watches, footwear, luggage, and accessories, and designed collaboration with Gucci, Target, Seiko, Barbour, Tag Heuer, Warm & Wonderful, Arthur Ashe, Umbro FILA, Sperry, Noah, Tudor, J. Press, The Grateful Dead, Globe-Trotter, Lands’ End, Harry’s Bar, the NBA, Zodiac, Eric Emanuel, Babar, Tracksmith, '47, New Era, Hunter, J. Crew, and more. The brand has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, The Financial Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Monocle, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Popeye, Hypebeast, Esquire, and GQ; and has garnered a celebrity following that includes Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dwyane Wade, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Mindy Kaling, Chloë Sevigny, David Byrne, Russell Westbrook, BTS, Pete Davidson, and Emily Ratajkowski. Under the Rowing Blazers umbrella, Jack has also led the revival of several heritage brands, including Warm & Wonderful and Arthur Ashe. In 2024, Carlson sold Rowing Blazers to Tory Burch co-founder Chris Burch's firm Burch Creative Capital.
2015 World Championships (France) - Bronze 2014 World Championships (Netherlands) - 8th 2013 Head of the Charles Regatta (USA) - Gold 2013 Royal Canadian Henley (Canada) - Gold 2013 Henley Royal Regatta (UK) - Gold 2011 World Championships (Slovenia) - 5th