JCPenney recruits Libby Edelmen to rejuvenate sales

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Jun 12, 2017

Following a year of financial troubles, the department store will launch a collection with Libby Edelmen this summer, in an effort to attract younger, fashion-conscious customers.

 
Edelmen is currently the senior vice president of her husband’s namesake shoe brand, Sam Edelmen. She also co-founded the Sam & Libby shoe line with her husband, which though successful in the 1980s, was sold in 1996 at a loss.
 
Edelmen’s new collection for JCPenney will arrive in stores on July 14 and includes a mix of apparel, accessories and shoes. This will be the first time Edelmen has branched into clothing, and her eclectic style will represent something of a departure for the department store, which has not been known for youthful or edgy styles.

With the new collaboration, JCPenney will compete with other department stores who have amassed exclusive designer or celebrity partnerships. Nordstrom has partnerships with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop line and Reese Witherspoon’s Draper and James line, while Kohl’s sells lines from Vera Wang and Lauren Conrad.
 
To mirror the success of fast fashion retailers like Asos and Zara, JCPenney will roll out new items from Edelmen every few months. It will also display the Edelmen line next to the Sephora counters found in many JCPenney locations.