Earlier this year, JCPenney announced an exclusive collaboration with the editors of InStyle magazine to reinvent its nearly 900 salons nationwide to introduce The Salon by InStyle. The transformation is currently kicking off with 15 pilot locations and two flagship locations—one in Dallas and the other in Glendale, CA.  The media preview of the completely renovated Glendale location took place this evening, July 16, 2015, with invited press, bloggers and salon managers from nearby JCPenney locations taking in the beautifully redesigned space.  On hand were Amiee Thomas, vice president of salon at JCPenney and Nick Stenson, the Senior Creative Director The Salons by InStyle.

“This is about so much more than a new name and a new sign,” Thomas says. “It is a shift in perception and a monumental step for us as a brand. It is an investment in our stylists.  I’m incredibly proud of our team and what has been accomplished.”

“It was really critical that we celebrate our associates in this process,” Stenson adds. “We want them to walk with pride and to feel this uplift and elevation and bring it to their work, not just creatively, but also in a business sense.  In addition to this beautiful new salon, we have worked on enhancing their skills and giving them even more tools to be successful.”

The Salon by InStyle concept was designed to attract a younger clientele who identifies with the fashion, hair and beauty trends InStyle covers editorially. Gorgeous imagery is featured throughout the salon. There is new sleek shelving for an upfront retail area, contemporary lighting fixtures, a revamped shampoo area, designated nail stations, completely new stations, furnishings and cabinetry and a beautifully organized color bar.

 “From top to bottom, there is such a transformation in the environment,” Glendale JCPenney General Manager Paul Brown says. “You really feel special walking in here.  It will open up the breadth of our customer base, appealing to our loyal customers, certainly, and also to a new clientele.”  

Jackie Galstaun, salon manager of the Glendale Salon by InStyle, has been waiting for this final reveal for months and was surrounded by her very happy team.

“We feel very fortunate, very excited and so proud that they chose us. My team deserves it—they worked so hard. Throughout all the construction, which lasted for two months, we were not closed for even one day. When it was finished, everyone couldn’t wait to pick their station and put all their equipment in place and to finally be settled into their new home.”