PLANO, Texas (September 16, 2026) – This fall, JCPenney – Yes JCPenney! – is at it again, democratizing access to great fashion, this time by making real, everyday people the story and the stars – on TV, in real life and on their own fashion magazine cover.
The first act? The Other September Issue.
For more than a century, fashion’s most exclusive publication – The September Issue – has decided who and what gets the spotlight. And that is, well, the issue. In its next “Yes, JCPenney,” move, The Other September Issue swaps fashion to admire from afar for fashion to which people can say, “yes.” Starring real people with real influence – five educators from San Marcos, Texas – not as makeover stories, but as model citizens and fashion icons whose influence inspires a generation. It’s not a campaign: it’s JCPenney standing up even taller for everyday Americans, making them the story and the stars. Because “Yes, JCPenney” believes “Everyone Deserves a Better Deal.”
“At JCPenney we firmly believe everyone deserves a better deal. The double meaning in that expression is intentional,” said Marisa Thalberg, EVP and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of Catalyst Brands. “Through this latest expression of ‘Yes, JCPenney,’ we are spotlighting some of the communities we admire most and who also exemplify our customers: teachers. We happen to think they deserve to be the cover models of magazines that inspire others… not to mention be the style icons of the classrooms they dress for every day.”
Debuting on JCPenney’s first-ever pop-up Substack (no-subscription-required), written by famed fashion critic and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson of Brain Matter; styled by celebrity stylist Wouri Vice and JCPenney; and captured by global fashion photographer, Andrew Matusik; The Other September Issue brings substance to its glossy cover, putting America’s most authentically influential voices at the center of one of fashion’s biggest conversations. Take Monica Lum for example. She’s a middle-school English teacher who recently turned 50, became a grandmother, and refuses to accept the idea that age defines what you can wear. Monica’s fashion choices matter not because thousands of strangers might see them, but because hundreds of her students see them again and again… and sometimes, two years later, they can still describe the earrings. That is real-world influence without a follower count.
Teachers from The Other September Issue will also star in JCPenney’s all-new, nationwide TV films, debuting September 17th in Prime Video’s first football game of the season, alongside other on-air community spotlights all season. No global spokespersons – just everyday icons whose stories and style are worth admiring.
The entire campaign – with looks that look (and really are!) right out of a glossy magazine – can be shopped for under $3,000. Yes, all 8 of them! Statement sweaters, elevated athleisure, color blocking, faux leather that actually feels like leather – from Liz Claiborne, a.n.a., Stafford, Levi’s, Adidas and Nike. All from yes, JCPenney.
Everyone Deserves a Better Deal at Yes, JCPenney
While teachers – representing more than 10% of JCPenney customers – are the first to star, they won’t be the last. “Everyone Deserves a Better Deal,” is Yes, JCPenney’s evolved way of celebrating people with everyday influence and inspiring their moments of “yes” all year. From sending community-nominated teachers on a “Yes Trip” later this fall – an unexpected counterpunch to lavish influencer brand trips – to launching the “Yes Collective” – JCPenney’s soon-to-debut affiliate program, opening up the definition of influence to all – including associates. No blue checks required.
“We’re putting ‘yes’ back into people’s hands, and after years of so many people having to say, ‘no,’ we think that’s pretty powerful,” Thalberg continued.
Read The Other September Issue on JCPenney’s pop-up Substack and find your “yes” in-store and online at yes, JCPenney.
About JCPenney
JCPenney, part of Catalyst Brands, is the shopping destination for America’s diverse, working families. With inclusivity at its core, the Company’s product assortment meets customers’ everyday needs and helps them commemorate every special occasion with style, quality and value. JCPenney offers a broad portfolio of fashion, apparel, home, beauty and jewelry from national and private brands and provides personal services including salon, portrait and optical. The Company and its 50,000 associates worldwide serve customers where, when and how they want to shop – from jcp.com to nearly 650 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
In 2022, JCPenney celebrated 120 years as an iconic American brand by continuing its legacy of connecting with customers through shopping and community engagement. Please visit JCPenney’s Newsroom to learn more and follow JCPenney on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Media Contact:
JCPenney Media
jcpnews@jcp.com.
