J.C. Penney has spent the past year working extra hard on its image: getting rid of sales then bringing them back, catering to young shoppers with stylish brand names then running back to its "frumpy" customers. Now it's taking yet another stab at reinvention: jumping into the designer collaboration game.
This week J.C. Penney announced that Duro Olowu, a Nigerian-born designer based in London, would be its first "seasonal designer," releasing a limited-edition collection for spring 2013. In an exclusive "first look" interview with InStyle.com, Olowu explained, "This collection is for anyone, from 18 to 80... Everything has a flattering element, whether you mix prints or pull out one piece and keep it simple."
Sounds perfect for J.C. Penney, which is a tad all over the map these days when it comes to reaching their customer. But with this new collection, the retailer will capture the attention of a particularly important group: the fashion industry.
"Please. Take a look at this beauty! jcpenney: Duro Olowu - coming in spring 2013! #duroforjcp" tweeted Nina Garcia of Marie Claire and "Project Runway" fame. InStyle.com praised Olowu for inviting in other big names, including Iris Apfel, to design pieces of the collection.
And the collection, which will retail for $10-$100, already has a built-in fan: Michelle Obama. The first lady has embraced Olowu's brightly printed designs, wearing (and re-wearing) his designs often. And we know she's already a fan of designer collaborations...
Check out some sneak peek pics below and head to InStyle.com to see more! Will you be lining up for this collab come March 2013?
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