J. Crew, the preppy retailer that has fallen out of favor in recent years, finally has a new leader who will be charged with reviving its brand.

Jan Singer, a former chief executive of Victoria’s Secret’s lingerie division and Spanx, will start as J. Crew’s C.E.O. on Sunday, the retailer said in a statement on Tuesday. J. Crew, which is backed by private equity, has been struggling to fill a leadership void for more than a year while trying to turn around its business.

The company’s management structure has been shaky since Millard Drexler, its well-known chief executive, stepped down in 2017. James Brett, the former president of West Elm, succeeded Mr. Drexler as chief but left abruptly in November 2018.

The company has been led by Michael J. Nicholson, its chief operating officer, on an interim basis since last April. Mr. Nicholson will resume his previous role. Mr. Drexler, known as Mickey, has continued to work for J. Crew as a strategic adviser and retains a stake in the company, according to the retailer’s most recent annual filing.