For years Target and H&M have been dominating the designer collaboration trend, tapping talents like Alber Elbaz, Karl Lagerfeld, Marni, Versace and Jason Wu. Not to be left in the dust, Macy’s and Kohl’s joined the party, bringing along Doo.Ri, Alberta Ferretii, Giambattista Valli and Narciso Rodriguez along. In October, JC Penney announced a collaboration with Nigerian born designer Duro Olawu for a spring capsule collection, a first for the American department store.
Partnering with Duro Olawu was very unexpected but a very welcomed surprise for fashion lovers who dream of wearing one of his creations. Olawu is a favorite of Michelle Obama, Anna Wintour and Linda Evangelista. He also nabbed the Best New Designer by the British Fashion Council in 2006. Olawu is not yet a household name in the US but with this collaboration with JC Penney, things are bound to change. For the his JC Penney collection, the designer is staying true to his aesthetic, bringing to life lavish prints in colorful fabrics on dresses and separates, as well as accessories. What’s even more impressive is that the collection starts at $10 and caps off at $100.
The Duro Olawu for JC Penney collection launches this coming spring at JC Penney stores and JCPenney.com. This calls for a new subscription to the JC Penney catalogue if they are breathing new life into the ladies fashion department.
