Don’t hide your curves — show them off.
That’s the message of the Ashley Graham Only at JCPenney plus-size collection launching Thursday at 325 JCPenney stores and on jcp.com.
It’s a three-year partnership between the mainstream department store and Graham, the plus-size model, entrepreneur, actress and champion of body positivity. The initial line offers 39 different styles, including dresses, suits, shirts, T-shirts, tank tops, denim, outerwear with faux fur trims, leopard prints, and stretchy dresses that accentuate body contours, exude confidence, and have sex appeal. The line represents a step up on the fashion spectrum for Penney’s. And sizes range from 0X to 5X/14W to 30W.
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Ashley Graham by JCPenney also furthers Penney’s reputation for being inclusive with its sizing. In 1962 the retailer launched its first catalog, which showcased plus sizes, and Graham actually modeled for JCPenney catalogues and mailers in 2011. (Penney’s, a division of Catalyst Brands, no longer publishes catalogues.)
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Plus-size lines currently represent nearly 10 percent of Penney’s women’s business. All of Penney’s private brands, namely St. John’s Bay, a.n.a, Liz Claiborne, Xersion and Worthington, have plus-size lines, though even more styles in plus sizes are offered in some market brands such as Puma and Playtex brands.
“I’ll tell you honey, JCPenney has been carrying plus sizes before I was even born. So this was an easy ‘yes’ for me to say let’s do a collection together, and let’s do it right,” Graham told WWD at a preview of the collection Tuesday evening at Manhattan’s Drais Supper Club, with 200 or so guests, including dozens of Graham’s plus-size friends and social media followers, representing, as she said, “my community.”
Graham has been involved in fashion projects and capsule collections in the past, including a plus-size lingerie line with Addition Elle, a Canadian retailer, and a denim line with Marina Rinaldi, the upscale plus-size collection and retailer owned by Max Mara. But her Penney’s collaboration is her first ongoing, full fashion collection. “It’s my biggest step out of the box and really into the mainstream,” Graham said.
So what’s it’s all about?
“We have drop dead gorgeous outerwear. My jeans I bet fit better than any of the other jeans on the market for curvy women. There is a coat, a shirt and a dress in leopard print. I feel leopard is a neutral. We did suiting really well and that’s so hard, especially not doing custom suiting. For a lot of women, knowing you can just buy a suit online or go into a store and buy it off the rack is a big deal. My mom is here tonight in a brown satin suit and it fits her perfectly. With the design team, I really said, ‘Guys, whatever is in your mind about what you think a curvy girl wants to wear, erase it immediately, because we have to think outside the box.”
Compared to Penney’s other plus-size lines, Ashley Graham for JCPenney “has a different energy. It’s a different aesthetic,” said Michelle Wlazlo, Penney’s chief executive officer. “It has versatility. There are styles if you want to go out for an evening, or wear something for work. There’s casual wear, sexy dresses, great fashion denim pieces, faux fur coats. It’s really about mixing and matching.” Prices range from $40 tank tops and T-shirts to $300 outerwear, with most of the collection priced under $100.
“One of my favorite styles is a sheer fitted dress which comes in a couple of different colors. I love this piece because it really celebrates curves, wherever your curves are. It’s very flattering,” said Wlazlo. “My other favorite is the faux fur jacket. It’s a showstopper piece.”
Retailers have notoriously buried their plus-size clothes in the far corners of their stores. But at Penney’s, “We have a significant plus-size department in our stores and Ashley will be the center brand. When you come in, you will see her first,” Wlazlo said.
“A curvy girl loves a stretch. We love a dart, to create shape,” said Graham, who appeared in one of her green ribbed dresses. “To be honest, this whole collection didn’t start from a size chart. It started from a need for fashionable, affordable and really fun clothes.
“I’ve been in this industry for 25 years and I’ve been cultivating a community that has been underserved way longer than that. I’m just honored that JCPenney wanted to collaborate on a really special clothing line for only curvy women. It’s not something you see every day. They really stepped out of their comfort zone with style, with the cuts, with the fabrics. You can tell the difference.”