Prabal Gurung for JC Penney Collection Launches

Luxury designer Prabal Gurung has designed a new affordable fashion collection for JC Penney.  With cold temperatures and storms bombarding the United States, it’s hard to think of spring fashion and bright colors, however, the bright florals, hot pinks and sparkling blue color palettes in this collection are eye-catching.  They are also a well-timed reminder that warmer weather is coming.

Sara Happ, Cece Meadows and Nyakio Grieco in iMPOWER by Prabal Gurung for JCPenney. (Photo: Business Wire)

The collection, formally entitled iMPOWER by Prabal Gurung for JCPenney, offers dresses and jumpsuits for every occasion, available in stores and online March 2 (at midnight US CST.)  I’ll be interested to see how this collection looks on the racks, especially since the JCP promotions for the marketing for the collection sound like it’s as multi-functional as Dan Ackroyd pitching the Bat-O-Matic on SNL iMPOWER promises something for everyone. It empowers women. It’s affordable. It offers women’s and plus sizing ( with 25 size-inclusive styles.)

The designer himself, describes the collection as promoting diversity and inclusion. Very lofty goals here for a bridge fashion collection.

“This collaboration with JCPenney is a joyful tribute to the power and resilience of the female spirit,” said New York-based designer, Prabal Gurung. “This collection is a celebration of diversity, inclusion and optimism and is an ode to the women who have held my hand and helped me grow. To me, beauty is inclusion in every size, every color, and that is the world I live in and the world I wanted to create with this collection.”

I smile as I read the descriptions. What can you really expect? Like his Prabal Gurung collection for Target, there are hits and misses. iMPOWER is not a greatest hits collection by Mr. Gurung. The garments are not the same designs as those you’ll find when you search Prabal Gurung at Saks Fifth Avenue or Bergdorf Goodman. There are no twist front dresses or blouses or rouched midi-dress. There are some attractive sundresses and one evening dress that looks like a doppelgänger to his luxury collections.

Sara Happ, maker of Lipscrubs, models a short, halter neck dress from the Prabal Gurung x JCP collection.

 Top Picks from iMPOWER by Prabal Gurung for JCPenney

The JCP collection features short dresses in white and bright colors plus some sparking halter neck dresses. The collections offers some prints, but they are not as understated as the floral prints from Prabal Gurung’s luxury brand.  I do like the style of the  pink, tie-waist midi dress and pockets modeled by Nykaio Grieco.

Nyakio Grieco in a pink Prabal Gurung for JCPenney dress,

The highlight of the collection for seekers of affordable, luxury style is the halter neck, sparkling cocktail dress modeled by Shalow Harlow.

Shalom Harlow in iMPOWER by Prabal Gurung for JCPenney. (Photo: Business Wire)

The photos above show my top picks from this collection based on the preview photos. We’ll see how the collection looks on the racks and what the fabrics are like when it launches online and in-stores. Thee may be a lot of Prabal Gurung fans showing up on the JCP website to shop and we expect some items will sell-out.

The Charitable Aspect of iMPOWER by Prabal Gurung for JCPenney

Beauty and fashion lovers who visit the Prabal Gurung for JCPenney website pages may notice some familiar faces. The women modeling this collection are:

• Nyakio Grieco, Co-Founder of thirteen lune: Girls Inc. of Los Angeles.​
• Sara Happ, Founder of Sara Happ Cosmetics: Alliance of Moms.​
• Cece Meadows, Founder and CEO of Prados Beauty: Native Women Lead​
• Varsha Thapa, Singer-songwriter and Animal Rights Activist: Animal Nepal​
• Shalom Harlow, Fashion Icon and Women’s Health Advocate: Beba Clinic​
• Natalia Bryant, Film Student and Philanthropist: Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation

Each of the above women  are affiliated with a charity that will benefit from the collection’s sale. To celebrate Women’s History Month, JCPenney will donate $10,000 to each campaign model ’s designated charity or cause along with Shikshya Foundation Nepal, the foundation that Prabal Gurung closely works with.  Kudos to JCP for taking that charitable initiative,