Project Runway All Stars has been odd this season promoting a J.C. Penney collaboration that no longer exists

The New York Times

The current season of Project Runway All Stars, which concludes tonight, was taped in summer 2017 -- about 18 months before its premiere in January -- and delayed due to the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal that prompted J.C. Penney to pull out of the branding partnership. That means that even though host and judge Alyssa Milano's announces in each episode that the week’s winning design will be sold on JCPenney.com the following day, her statement is false. "When it comes to J.C. Penney branding, 'All Stars' Season 7 has gone all out," says Dan McQuaide. "The retailer is name-checked by Milano and other contestants constantly. It’s built into the show’s staging, with a J.C. Penney accessory wall. One episode featured sponsored content right in the episode title ('Penneys from Heaven'). The brand’s presence is baked into the season’s DNA. Despite this conundrum, Lifetime decided to air it anyway, as is, starting in January (roughly 18 months after filming) — which is why Milano has been telling viewers most weeks about an outfit they won’t be able to buy. It has been weird. There is no explanation or indication that the J.C. Penney partnership has ended — only a confusingly vague 'Previously Recorded' message that appears in the corner of the screen every time the retailer is mentioned. (A Lifetime spokeswoman declined to comment on the record as to why the branding was left in despite the circumstances.)"