11 Honoré is now exclusively at Nordstrom

11 Honoré has announced its first-ever retail partnership. The plus-size luxury retailer is working with Nordstrom (which invested in the company in 2019) on a capsule collection designed by Danielle Williams-Eke that will be delivered in two drops: The first launched on October 6 online and in select stores with 14 workwear-inspired styles, priced between $128 and $248. The second drop will arrive in later this month.

An exclusive retail agreement with 11 Honoré allows Nordstrom to deepen its product offerings with designer, plus-size labels. Since its founding, 11 Honoré has been working with designers to expand their size runs and championing the notion that offering luxury apparel to plus-size audiences is a smart business decision.  “Nordstrom’s commitment to inclusivity aligns perfectly with our mission as the first size-inclusive retailer and we are so excited for the 11 Honoré collection to be reaching more women through the Nordstrom retail channels,” said 11 Honoré founder Patrick Herning in a statement.

Retail Dive reports that Nordstrom is in the middle of a streak of landing new brand partnerships. It’s part of a strategic goal announced earlier in the year to broaden its assortment from about 300,000 items to more than 1.5 million in the next three to five years. That plan also includes reducing its traditional wholesale operation, which typically provides 85% of its assortment, to provide 50% by introducing a model that has shared revenue and risk as well as increase drop-shipping and concessions.

The retailer has focused on partnerships with DTC brands, and even as far back as 2012 showed its interest in online apparel retailers when it made a $16.4 million minority investment in menswear brand Bonobos. The company was later purchased by Walmart in 2017. More recently, the department store has forged partnerships with Everlane, Reformation, Glossier and Boy Smells. And last year the company teamed up with DTC darling Casper to sell mattresses and sleep accessories in some stores and its website.

Then in June, Nordstrom made another move to diversify its apparel offering by announcing that Indochino would open 21 shop-in-shops in its stores nationwide. The partnership provides a made-to-measure suiting option for customers and broadens the men’s category for the department store.  Nordstrom has expanded other partnerships this year. Over the summer, the department store acquired a minority interest in the TopShop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands. Nordstrom has been the exclusive U.S. distributor of Topshop and Topman since 2012.

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