Even though more than two-thirds of women wear plus-size apparel, they’re often made to feel invisible — particularly in the world of fashion apparel. But model and plus-size advocate Ashley Graham, who brims with what she calls “Main Character Energy,” wants these women to feel seen and beautiful. Her new apparel line, which drops today at JCPenney, does just that.
“The genesis of this whole brand is that you can be whoever you want to be,” said Graham at a Sept. 30, 2025 event celebrating the line’s debut. “I’m just excited for women to walk out of the shopping experience knowing that this collection was made for you and for whoever you want to be.”
JCPenney’s History of Inclusivity
The line, made exclusively for women sizes 14 and up, with prices starting at $40, also fulfills JCPenney’s embrace of inclusivity — one that goes back over half a century.
“We featured plus-size clothing and plus-size models in our catalogs in the 1950’s,” said Michelle Wlazlo, JCPenney Brand CEO in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “It’s in the fabric of the history of the company. Knowing we have such a strong, incredible plus-size business, we wanted to push the fashion envelope, and the best person to do that is Ashley. In fact, Ashley modeled for the JCPenney catalog when she was 19 years old! We didn’t have to ‘sell’ each other.” JCPenney kicked off its three-year partnership with Graham beginning in April 2025.
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JCPenney offers plus sizes in all of its private brands, but the Ashley Graham collection will be exclusively for plus-size customers. “It’s been very purposeful that they’re only for curvy women,” Wlazlo noted. “[The clothing] has a lot of versatility, including denim, dresses and relaxed suiting, and it’s not hiding your body — even the things that are drapey and loose showcase your curves. We’re democratizing fashion from both an affordability standpoint and a size standpoint.”
Getting to Yes, JCPenney
This latest program aligns with the “Yes, JCPenney” campaign that the retailer is using to showcase its surprising new offerings, which has included a steady drumbeat of fresh marketing campaigns and collaborations.
“This partnership is such a personification of why we’re trying to get more people to wake up and say ‘Yes, JCPenney’ with a newfound swagger,” said Marisa Thalberg, EVP and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. (Catalyst Brands was formed via a partnership between JCPenney and SPARC Group in January 2025.)
“The irony has been that for women with larger frames, they’ve been made to feel invisible, being dressed in ways that shrink them into a corner,” said Thalberg. “What Ashley has delivered is fashion that’s unapologetically a statement. It’s confident, bold, and says ‘I am here. See me.’”
The collection includes quality materials and meticulous attention to providing the perfect fit, with versatile looks such as mesh dresses in vibrant prints, faux leather dresses and skirts, pinstripe sets and scoop-neck tops. The full run of sizes, which range from 0X-5X/14W-30W, will be available online and, notably in all JCPenney stores, not relegated to an online-only extended sizes section as some retailers have done.
Graham was heavily involved in every aspect of the line’s development, from concept to design and fit. “So much of what we got to do, and that we felt so free doing, was because JCPenney said ‘No rules, no boundaries, what is it that you want to do?’,” she said.
The Value of Plus-Size Expertise in the ‘Ozempic Era’
Asked about the retail and fashion industries’ overall approach to plus-size products, Wlazlo said that it’s still a work in progress. “It’s hard for any business that doesn’t have a plus-size area [already] — you don’t just double all your SKUs” with larger sizes, she noted. “It’s a big investment, and it’s hard to do; that’s why more people haven’t gone into it.” (And something that other retailers like Old Navy have learned the hard way.)
For her part, Thalberg also noted that the line is “meaningful in this societal moment, in the Ozempic era,” referring to the popular weight loss drug, which has precipitated a marked shift in consumer shopping patterns. “Are we still going to truly celebrate diversity? JCPenney is here to say, yes, we are.”
JCPenney isn’t alone in continuing efforts to promote inclusivity through its products. Other recent developments in these efforts include:
- In March 2022 Walmart debuted Choose My Model, a digital experience that allowed shoppers to select from 50 models of varying body types;
- JCPenney supported inclusivity in beauty and skincare with a September 2022 partnership with Revieve to offer AR and AI-powered experiences;
- In August 2024 Wrangler introduced a “Bespoke” jeans line, designed by women to address key pain points for female customers;
- In September 2024 JCPenney partnered with disabled writer and athlete Jamey Perry on a line of fashionable, functional apparel for women in wheelchairs; and
- In January 2025 Primark expanded its offerings of clothing for disabled people to include womenswear, menswear, underwear and nightwear.
