Tracee Ellis Ross Talks Her New Collection for JCPenney

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm (more than) a bit of a Tracee Ellis Ross fangirl. Can you blame me? The woman is not only super smart, hilarious, goofy, and talented (she won a Golden Globe for her role as Rainbow Johnson on ABC's Black-ish), but she's also among the celebrities that I consider my personal hair icons. I love a big, curly, voluminous 'fro and hers is consistently pure disco perfection.

I mean, that 'fro is downright aspirational, people.

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Knowing that Tracee Ellis Ross is one of my absolute faves, you can imagine how psyched I was when I heard she would be partnering with JCPenney on a 45-piece clothing line for the holidays. As I saw photos of the actress in pieces from her range pop up on my Instagram feed, I knew my credit card was in some serious trouble.

Or, maybe not, as when I spoke to Ellis Ross at an event on Wednesday evening fêting the project, she told me that she wanted to make sure each piece came in at under $100. So, yeah, I really had to practice self-control as I browsed through racks displaying that $49 navy blue three quarter-length sleeved "Glorious" dress with big red polka dots, and my absolute favorite piece — the $74 "Glow" dress, which is basically a T-shirt dress covered in pink sequins. If you know me, you know that I consider glitter, sequins, and sparkles as neutrals, so that dress is basically so me. And, of course, so Tracee, too.

"I come from glamour and sparkle, obviously. I was born into it, and I believe that glamour and sparkles can be for daytime or nighttime," she said. Wow, we must be sisters.

But besides the sparkly lewks (like a gold sequin dress that changes to black when you run your fingers over it), Ross was really looking to create a collection that everyone could feel comfortable in, regardless of size, gender, or whatever differences people have that society has arbitrarily decided means they can't wear certain things.

"I beleive that clothing and looking great does not have to be expensive, and I also think that clothing can be both armor and your joy at the same time," she said. "It [was really] important to me to design a line that not only came in sizes small to 3X, but actually worked on sizes small to 3X." Ellis Ross was so committed to this vision, that she says even during the design process, she had to scrap a few pieces she loved because she didn't think they would translate well on all body types.

Indeed, inclusivity is at the core of this collection, from the cuts of the clothes to the models Ellis Ross chose to front the campaign. "I was the one that made sure I cast all the models," she said. In the promo photos for the line, we see a mature woman with gorgeous silver hair, curvy multi-ethnic-looking beauties, and a gorgeous woman with a cropped cut and skin like mahogany. Seeing her own clothes on women of various shapes and sizes was definitely an exciting experience, says Ellis Ross, to who diversity isn't just a gimmick or a marketing tool. It's a fact of life.

"Diversity is just what our world is." she said. "It's just what our culture is made up of. We're all human beings, none of us are alike, and that's the beauty of it. There's a sameness in all of us, and there's also a uniqueness to all of us. That's where my inspiration has always come from."

It's safe to say: I'm obsessed. Not just with the range, but (even more than before) with Ellis Ross, who turns out, has a lot in common with one particular beauty-obsessed individual I know very well — myself. She's a fellow curly girl, and when you've got hair with tons of texture, taking care of it can be a process.

I have to block off an afternoon or evening to give my hair the kind of care it needs. At its most involved, the process includes a pre-poo, shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in, and then lots of finger detangling, Denman brushing, and twisting my wet hair, keeping it under a head wrap or silk scarf for a day, and then taking it all out. Issa process. I'm even tired writing about it. And to be honest, sometimes I wish I could skip my deep conditioning sessions for a few weeks to cut down on time, but it always comes back to bite me in the bum when I try to style my hair during the week and I'm working with tons of frizz.

It can be exhausting, but for Ellis Ross, it's no biggie. "It's just a part of the deal," she told me matter-of-factly. Indeed, her hair routine has become such a normal part of her grooming, that she doesn't see any reason to leave any step out for time's sake. "I've been wearing my hair natural for so long, that I've just incorporated it into my lifestyle. It's part of the reason why I don't wear a ton of makeup because my hair takes time. But it's also my best accessory."

When Ellis Ross has to stock up on hair products, though, she does what New Yorkers such as myself have been doing for decades — head over to Ricky's. She cites the staple N.Y.C. beauty supply store as her "favorite place to get hair products because I can get everything from there." But while she loves Ricky's, like many of us, Ellis Ross also does a ton of online shopping for her hair products. "The truth is, I'm an Amazon beauty shopper," she said. "In Los Angeles, I work so much I never have time to go to stores." And with a coif like hers, we're sure she's that Amazon Prime account is being put to good use.

Tracee Ellis Ross for JCPenney hit stores and http://ift.tt/2fYKJ0I on November 12.

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