20
Sep
2011

Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

categories: Fashion

Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?
Even if you aren’t the least bit interested in fashion, you’ve likely heard of the whole Missoni for Target mess. Even the New York Times featured an article in which marketing execs called the execution a total fail. How could a brand as major as Target not anticipate the blood-lust-want from hungry fashionistas? How could the website of a massive retailer be down for HOURS? How could such limited supply be stocked?

Missoni for target womens dresses hats bags Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

Everyone went nuts for the zig zag prints

Needless to say, there’s been plenty of outrage.

I didn’t even bother. For whatever reason, this latest Target designer collaboration just didn’t do it for me. Sure, the bike and the zig zag wellies would have been cute, but I definitely wasn’t waiting hours in line, or scouring eBay for these finds which are now being sold for almost as much as their luxury counterparts.

I love a good Target designer collaboration; I’ve picked up some Zac Posen for Target and Lanvin for H&M too. But I wonder, are these collaborations really good for designers?

christian louboutin fox trot replica under 50 Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

Clearly Louboutin knockoffs; is it really worth paying less?

Luxury designs are luxury for a reason: you pay for what you get. This means talented designs, high-end fabrics and often items that are handmade. With a Target collaboration, you’re getting the designer name. Maybe even the talent behind it. But part of what makes these garments so amazing is the fabrics and time invested to put them together. There’s a reason Forever 21 tops fall apart after just a few washes. Which leads me to a few questions:

Are designers  just out to make a quick buck?

Obviously, the economy sucks. People aren’t dropping thousands on the “IT” bag like they used to. Is this the designer’s version of “selling out”, just to make investors happy?

Do they value their own work?

I may have loathed the Kardashian’s for BEBE collaboration, but it looked and felt like them. As in, I could see the girls wearing it, and enjoying it. For real fashion designers, however, who are trained in working with the best people and the best materials, can they honestly look at a Target-produced dress and say, “I’m proud of this!” “I’d definitely wear this out in public!”?

kardashians for bebe look 01 Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

Kardashians for BEBE? At least I can picture them wearing this.

shoes paris hilton Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

These shoes? Really? Doubt Paris Hilton would ever wear her own "designs".

Does it devalue the cache of their current work?

If I can get Rodarte, Lanvin, Zac Posen, Missoni and other designers at a fraction of the price, why would I bother to pay 4 times as much for their luxury collections?

I can pick up a Missoni for Target scarf, starting at $38.

missoni target scarf Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

Missoni for Target scarves, starting at $38

I can also get a real Missoni scarf, starting at $138.

missoni scarf Designers for Target: Good idea or bad idea?

A real Missoni scarf, starting at $138

Fashion for the masses

My last question: you could argue it’s always an avenue to introduce high-end fashion to the masses. A way to bring in new consumers and introduce someone to the brand. But wouldn’t the point of luxury and high-end fashion be moot if it was accessible to everyone? And are you really gaining “new” consumers or hungry Target fashionistas?

What do you guys think? Is designing for Target a good idea or bad idea?

 

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  • Ashe @ Dramatis Personae

    Super great discussion! It’s sad what this collection became and that everyone felt badly about the execution of it.  I do think there’s good intent behind lines like this– by a brand endorsing and creating a line that’s geared towards a different price bracket, they’re doing the brand a favor– and preventing knock-offs.  They’re ensuring that their vision, style, and brand aren’t diluted or stolen, which has considerable value in this day & age (where designers are knocked off perpetually). 

    Where this really fell apart, for me, is the greed of people– those who had no interest and knowledge of the brand buying it & reselling it… simply to pad their own pockets.  The economy is shit right now, but in way, that’s essentially robbing people: those who wanted the product and forcing them to pay prices that near the cost of REAL Missoni… just absurd!

    • http://www.stylesizzle.com M @StyleSizzle

      Thanks for the comment! I agree, a lot of people became greedy. I heard people over here were just filling up their carts to hawk stuff on eBay later..crazy! But you do bring up a good point on preventing lower-priced knockoffs. Maybe it’s better they create lookalikes themselves at the cheaper price point. 

  • http://metaphoricalblue.blogspot.com/ Blue

    I think you raise a lot of relevant points. I guess collaborations like that create a lot of exposure for the designers, which maybe, maybe, might cause someone who is not necessarily their key demographic to save up for the real deal. However, I don’t think that’s enough to have a real effect on their profits. But theses collaborations also get a lot of media attention, thus maybe reminding people who can afford it that that brand exists?

  • Amandas Fremen

    I totally agree with all your points.  This was a real regression on Missoni’s part. After all, the label already has a relatively affordable label which is now even being distributed in places like Gilt Groupe and my local TJ Max for as low at $60 for some items.  To hear of a label with a long tradition of making fine garments from space-dyed/yard dyed organic fibers.. is now making acrylic (presumably garment-dyed) garbaged sold in the same space that sells kitty litter supplies is enough for me to say they really put the MISS in Missoni for Target. This was a huge miss and Im going to MISS the label.. but for now, I shan’t be spending my dollars at this Italian Lux label.

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