Husband-and-wife design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz have teamed up with JC Penney for a new home line. The Back to Everything collection of furniture, lighting, wallpaper, bedding, and rugs, and will be available for a limited time starting Sept. 23, tapping into the couples 25 years of experience designing high-end residences and boutique hotels in Manhattan, L.A. and beyond.
This partnership is the latest move by JC Penney to re-establish its position as a home goods source. Over the past 15 months, the department store has introduced or relaunched branded home lines Linden Street, Fieldcrest, Liz Claiborne, Loom + Forge, and Home Expressions.
“The launch of the Back to Everything collection at JCPenney offers the distinctive style that The Novogratz is known for at the value JCPenney customers expect,” said Kevin McGhee, vice president, divisional merchandise manager, home, JCPenney. “We’re proud to cultivate a well-rounded assortment of home goods that our customers will be excited to shop while taking steps to improve the sustainability of our offerings.”
The collaboration with the design influencers comes at a time when other mass merchants are forging partnerships with stars of the design sector. Target recently launched a Jungalow for Opal House line with Jungalow founder and designer Justina Blakeney, on the heels of its successful Hearth & Hand collaboration with Joanna and Chip Gaines. And Bed Bath & Beyond launched its Bee & Willow Home line with interior designer and HGTV star Lauren Liess in 2019.
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Like fashion partnerships with style influencers, these design influencer collaborations allow brands to tap into an aspirational aesthetic and make it accessible to a wider audience.
“The key difference is that home decor influencers are operating with a much larger canvas,” Evy Lyons, VP of marketing, Traackr, told Sourcing Journal earlier this year. “Instead of creating content about a single makeup look or ‘outfit of the day,’ these influencers are masters at crafting whole worlds, and telling the story of how an environment can hold emotional and mental power. Audiences want to see how beautiful spaces are created, and then understand how they can make that come to life in their own homes.”
In addition to their eponymous home line, the Novogratz have forged a number of design partnerships, including a rug line with Momeni and an outdoor furniture collection with actress Sarah Jessica Parker that launched earlier this year. Cortney also just announced the launch of a living room and bedroom furniture line for Dorel, which will debut at the High Point Market next month.
“We love creating elevated-yet-accessible designs and have found the perfect partner in JCPenney to kick off a new line of exclusive bedding and rugs with a curated selection of our favorite decor and furniture,” according to the couple, whose brand is followed by nearly 200,000 on Instagram.