At the recent Paris Fashion Week, supermodels strutted down the runways, and only the elite had front row seats.
But last weekend, 5,000 miles away in a different Paris — the one in Texas — real Texans modelled spring’s hottest looks at a fashion show where everyone was a VIP.
JCPenney designed “The Other Paris Runway” as a direct counterpoint to the exclusivity of traditional fashion shows, instead celebrating covetable, affordable style for every body type.
“The Other Paris Runway” took place in an open-air field at sunset near a replica of the Eiffel Tower, with guests and models who were local residents styled head-to-toe in JCPenney. There were no velvet ropes or seating charts, and the actual prices of all the outfits were displayed. The 43 looks — including signature brands like Worthington, a.n.a., and J. Ferrar — cost $8,710.74 in total, less than a single haute couture gown.
Hair and makeup were courtesy of JCPenney Salon and Beauty’s artists, and everyone got a backstage pass to the after-party.
The runway show kicked off JCPenney’s spring campaign, “Exactly What You Are (and Aren’t) Looking For,” created by Mischief @ No Fixed Address, which says that the real thrill of fashion isn’t the dress you wear, but discovering other perks like affordable prices.
“The Other Paris Runway” follows last year’s “The Other Venice Wedding,” in which JCPenney staged, styled, and paid for a real couple’s wedding for a total of $10,000 — a sharp contrast to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ lavish, multimillion-dollar Venice wedding that summer.
“Our customers aren’t billionaires. We’re for everyone else, who still deserve the brands, quality, sizes, and prices they want,” Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer of JCPenney parent company Catalyst Brands, told ADWEEK. “We’re looking for moments to wake people up in different ways and poke at the elitism in culture and the frustration at that.”
