**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302**

**OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002**

 

I, Millard S. Drexler, certify that:

 
| 1. | I have reviewed this  quarterly report on Form 10-Q of J. Crew Group, Inc., J. Crew Intermediate  LLC and J. Crew Operating Corp.; |
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| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this  report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to  state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the  circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with  respect to the period covered by this report; |
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| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the  financial statements and other financial information included in this report  fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of  operations and cash flows of each registrant as of, and for, the periods  presented in this report; |
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| 4. | Each registrant’s other  certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e)  and 15d-15(e)) for such registrant and have: |
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|   | a) | Designed such disclosure  controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to  be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information  relating to such registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made  known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period  in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   | b) | Evaluated the effectiveness  of such registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this  report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and  procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such  evaluation; and |
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|   | c) | Disclosed in this report  any change in such registrant’s internal control over financial reporting  that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the  registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has  materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, such  registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
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| 5. | Each registrant’s other  certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation  of internal control over financial reporting, to such registrant’s auditors  and the audit committee of such registrant’s board of directors (or persons  performing the equivalent functions): |
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|   | a) | All significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal  control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely  affect such registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report  financial information; and |
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|   | b) | Any fraud, whether or not  material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant  role in such registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
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| Dated: September 14,  2004                                    |
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| /s/ Millard S. Drexler                                             |   |
| Millard S. DrexlerChairman of the Board andChief Executive Officer |

 

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