JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson has just scooped up a top fashion exec who’s hot property — and also a hot potato.
Nickelson Wooster — a West Village dandy celebrated on fashion blogs for his handlebar mustache and armsleeve tattoos — has been tapped to become creative director for Penney’s men’s clothing business, The Post has learned.
Fashion insiders said the hire is a coup for Johnson, as Wooster — a longtime luxury authority who lately has advised outfits like Thom Browne and Gilt Groupe — is among the world’s most respected mavens for men’s style.
“Nick is a very, very talented executive who has been able to address clients at all taste levels and all price points,” said Ron Frasch, president of Saks Fifth Avenue.
But sources noted that Johnson is taking a bit of a chance on Wooster in the wake of a media dust-up less than a year ago that cost Wooster his plum post as men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.
In an interview last May with GQ magazine, Wooster used some frank diction as he enthused about his position.
“I am just an old f—ing midget queen who, you know, had the good fortune to get this job and it’s like, ‘How did that happen?’” Wooster told the men’s mag.
Two days later, Neiman ousted the charismatic clotheshorse — a move that provoked protests in Gotham fashion circles.
“The longtime creative director at Barneys was known for his open flamboyance, and yet was highly respected for his talent,” observed one senior apparel exec, referring to outspoken tastemaker Simon Doonan.
Johnson, a former Apple exec who has been shaking up Penney’s ranks since he took the reins last November, has also lately drawn heat from right-wing groups by hiring openly gay TV talker Ellen DeGeneres as a spokeswoman.
While some insiders fret over Wooster’s lack of experience in middlebrow togs, suppliers griped that Johnson still hasn’t replaced the four top execs he recently fired in its men’s department. Those execs made financial decisions — something Wooster isn’t expected to be doing.
“Where does the buck stop? Who writes the checks?” one supplier groused. “It’s not the creative director.”