Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon is bringing her clothing line, Draper James, to Kohl’s department stores next year.
The exclusive collection, Draper James RSVP, will debut in February in 500 stores and on Kohl’s e-commerce site. In 300 of those stores, the Southern-style brand will occupy an expanded display situated adjacent to the new Sephora at Kohl’s shops, according to a news release Tuesday.
Witherspoon launched Draper James in 2015. Inspired by her Southern heritage and upbringing in Nashville, the brand is centered on “classic American fashion rooted in elegance, grace and charm.”
The Draper James RSVP collection features “classic styles with a modern twist,” carrying an assortment of feminine dresses, structured blazers, bodysuits, blouses and button down cardigans, as well as skirts, rompers and seasonal capris.
An early sketch of a Draper James RSVP design. Credit: Kohl’s Corp.“We’ve been fortunate to have introduced Draper James to a wonderful and loyal group of customers to date, but with our expansion into Kohl’s, we’re excited about the opportunity to bring Draper James’ unique Southern style to millions more customers nationwide,” the company said in a news release. “We think Kohl’s customers will come to love how our clothes help women feel confident, modern and put together with beautiful and easy-to-wear transitional pieces from our collection.”
Draper James has five retail stores across the U.S., including Nashville; Lexington, Kentucky; Atlanta; Houston and at the Mall of America near Minneapolis.
Witherspoon’s brand is one of several big names the Menomonee Falls-bases retailer has added to the mix over the past year as it reinvents its women’s category to attract a younger customer base. It’s all part of ongoing efforts to adapt to an ever-changing — and challenging — apparel retail environment.
In fall, Kohl’s launched a huge deal with San Francisco-based beauty retail giant Sephora, which opened shops in 200 Kohl’s stores, including six in southeastern Wisconsin. Other new partner brands include Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, Eddie Bauer, TOMS, and Dodgeville-based Lands’ End.
“When we thoughtfully make the decision to add a new brand to our exclusive portfolio, it’s critical that the product line not only addresses a void, but also provides meaningful differentiation to our current assortment,” said Doug Howe, chief merchandising officer at Kohl’s. “This is definitely the case with Draper James.”
