Lane Bryant and JCPenney are each launching new collections with social justice in mind. Lane Bryant will add a dedicated Pride collection to its Cacique Intimates apparel brand, while JCPenney will launch a Juneteenth collection from its Hope & Wonder private label line.
Lane Bryant will further support Pride Month with a digital campaign featuring Lane stylists who work in the retailer’s stores and are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Each stylist will model items from the 2022 Pride collection and share their personal connections with the community.
The retailer also will continue providing support to GLSEN, a national education organization working to create safe and inclusive schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, by donating $30,000 to the organization. Since first partnering with GLSEN in 2018, Lane Bryant has contributed a total of $140,000 to its cause.
JCPenney’s Hope & Wonder brand was designed to raise awareness, celebrate diversity and uplift communities. Associates are invited to design and create products that represent a given moment, then select nonprofit partners and let them participate as models in marketing material. The retailer will donate 100% of the proceeds from sales of the new collection to Opal’s Walk for Freedom, a nationwide series of 2.5-mile walks representing the 2.5 years it took Emancipation Proclamation enforcement to reach Texas.
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JCPenney also is hosting several events in celebration of Juneteenth, including a virtual event with Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” that took place on May 17. The talk discussed the significance of Juneteenth and its designation as a federal holiday, Lee’s ongoing advocacy and community work and the freedom journey that continues to this day. The retailer also will host its own Opal’s Walk in Fort Worth, Texas and sponsor self-directed “virtual” walks around the country with JCPenney associates.
“We are so honored to celebrate Juneteenth with special events and a new Hope & Wonder collection that allows us to give back and help Opal Lee spread her message of freedom and unity,” said Val Harris, SVP, Design, Brand Management and Trend at JCPenney in a statement. “These efforts are the result of creative collaboration across many parts of the organization and JCPenney is so pleased to come together to honor this moment.”
