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New ‘Project Runway,’ Private Runway Line At J.C. Penney Unveiled, With Erin Robertson Fall Collection Preview

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 22:52 PST, Aug 3, 2017

Project Runway fans who fantasize about wearing clothes designed by a Lifetime TV designer, can now go to J.C. Penney. The major retailer just announced a partnership with the fashion design show for an exclusive collection called Private Runway.

The Private Runway collection features garments and accessories designed by winners of the popular reality show, and will be available year-round at the over 500 retail stores, as well as the J.C. Penney dedicated Project Runway website page.

This is not all: The partnership between Project Runway and J.C. Penney is multi-facetted.

First, there will be a J.C. Penney challenge for Project Runway Season 16 and 17 designers, as well as for Project Runway All Stars Season 7 designers. The day after that episode is aired, the winning garment will be available at select stores, and on their website.

In addition, every single week, the winning look will be translated into a garment and sold at J.C. Penney, allowing fans to instantly buy and wear a designer look, at an affordable price!

According to the Dallas News, throughout these upcoming seasons, there will be a J.C. Penney accessory wall, where the designers can choose from Liz Claiborne®, Mixit®, a.n.a.®, and Worthington® “brands of shoes, handbags, fashion accessories, and jewelry” when they send their models down the catwalk.

The winner of Project Runway will get the opportunity to work with the major retailer for a capsule collection that will be sold at J.C. Penney stores. This is incredible exposure for an up-and-coming fashion designer!

Currently, fans of the most recent Project Runway winner, Erin Robertson, and her fashion-forward designs can now go to J.C. Penney and select from a “summer preview collection,” and purchase Private Runway clothes specially inspired by the banana-loving, Season 15 designer.

What will the fashion look like? According to the company press release, “The Project Runway brand assortment is a mix of contemporary and street style looks with one-shoulder dresses, pencil skirts and cold-shoulder blouses that mix patterns and textures as part of a stunning preview collection.” The photos released from the collection show plenty of Erin’s signature color yellow, as well as black and turquoise.

On September 8, there will be an entire capsule collection designed by Robertson available at all of the stores. The release states that this collection will include the “highlight sport luxe details with lace-up accents, hardware embellishments and drama sleeves on notable pieces, including off-the-shoulder bomber jackets, wide-leg track pants, and fashion sweatshirts in rose, burgundy, and black.”

The Private Runway line will be easy for fashion-forward customers to find, as each of the over 500 retail stores in the United States will have a large display, easily visible to their customers. The exclusive fashion line will be located in the women’s clothing department, at the store’s main entrance.

In addition, there will also be a major marketing campaign by J.C. Penney advertising their partnership with Project Runway.

Clearly, the previous collaboration between J.C. Penney and a previous winning designer has been successful. Just a year ago, the Inquisitr reported that Project Runway Season 14 winner Ashley Nell Tipton launched her own plus-size collection at J.C. Penney called Ashley Nell Tipton for Boutique+.

John Tighe, chief merchant for J.C. Penney, was understandably enthusiastic about the new collaboration between Project Runway and the major retail chain.

“Millions of viewers aspire to emulate the fashion-forward looks first conceptualized during a Project Runway episode. This strategic collaboration enables us to work directly with up-and-coming design talent from Project Runway and increase our assortment of contemporary apparel, while gaining a fresh perspective on what women are seeking when curating the ultimate wardrobe.”

Harvey Weinstein, producer of Project Runway and, incidentally, husband of Project Runway All Stars judge and designer, Georgina Chapman, is quite excited about this new collaboration, pointing out that the “partnership with J.C. Penney” is one of the “biggest retail collaborations since the series first began.”

He explained that this partnership also “marks the first time the entire Project Runway franchise has partnered with a leading, national retailer and introduced a line of Project Runway clothing that will be available year-round.”

Although it is news that Erin Robertson has now designed a collection for J.C. Penney, but is this is only one part of the latest news on the reality show winner, as well as the other winners of Project Runway.

Just two months ago, it was reported that Heidi Klum has also created a new line with German grocer Lidl, that will also be out in the fall. It was expected that this new season, the Heidi Klum challenge may be to design for her new Lidl line, yet with the latest J.C. Penney announcement, there may be a conflict between the German grocer and the American retailer. Perhaps the designers will be creating lingerie or swimsuits for Klum’s lines?

Project Runway Season 16 will begin on August 17, on the Lifetime Channel. Tim Gunn will host a preview of the new season on August 10. Although Season 6 of Project Runway All Stars has not yet aired, the rumor is that the season was previously filmed. As of now, there is not an air date announced, and there is no indication if there will be duplicated garments from that season sold at J.C. Penney.

What do you think of the new Private Runway label at J.C. Penney? Are you inspired to go to the major retailer to pick up the Project Runway winning designer’s clothing? Please share your thoughts below.

[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

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