Thoughts On the Designer Collaboration Craze

Now that Missoni for Target has passed, here are three upcoming designer collaborations that I am excited about! Try not to go all crazy eBay hoarder before I get to see them in person this time, okay? ;)

Giambattista Valli for Macy's Impulse- Launches October 26, 2011

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Giambattista Valli is known as a designer-darling of high society.  His feminine party dresses possess a cross-generational appeal.  According to Vogue, his collection for Macy's Impulse will include "a lot of georgette, brocade, organdies, jersey, animal spot, and prints." A preview of the collection was just released yesterday, including the above photos, and I'm just loving the leopard! Macy's Impulse is definitely on a roll with their designer collaborations.  

Versace for H&M- Launches November 19, 2011

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According to the October issue of Vogue, Donatella "has tapped into her late brother's design legacy." The H&M collection will include pieces inspired by classic Versace designs, straight from the archives of Gianni Versace. Versace for H&M will include womenswear, menswear, shoes, accessories, and even elements for the home. Personally, I'm not a big Versace girl, but I'll admit that I might be getting a little excited over a couple images I've seen of studded dresses. Vogue predicts that we should "expect mob scenes" on November 19th. 

Jason Wu for Target- Launches February 5, 2012

I've got to be honest here--  I am looking forward to this one the most out of the three. Actually, I'm looking forward to this one way more than Missoni! The collection will include women's apparel, handbags and scarves, and is expected to stay true to the designer's feminine, '60s-inspired aesthetic.  I just adore Jason Wu, and I can't wait to see what he brings to Target! If his Spring collection for Target is anything like his amaaazing Spring 2012 RTW show, I better start saving up my money now!

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If you can't already tell, I am totally intrigued with the current world-wide obsession over designer collaborations;  not because they're not great... they're actually one of my favorite concepts ever.  In fact, some of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe have come from designer collaboration collections with stores like Target and H&M, some purchased back when I was in high school. But my past encounters with designer collaboration collections have in no way resembled my experience with Missoni for Target.  In the past, I might have found out about a collection from a brief mention in a fashion magazine feature.  Then I would visit the store and find a few treasures, sometimes even on the clearance rack.... no big deal.  But in the last year, launches like Lanvin for H&M, and most notably Missoni for Target, have totally exploded into a level of obsession that is bordering on craziness.  I can't help but wonder what role the world of blogs may have played in this...

I think that in the past, women who were already "in the know" when it comes to fashion were the ones who scouted out these hidden gems.  And maybe once in a while, women who'd never heard of say,  Erin Fetherston, for example, brought home one of her dresses from Target, not knowing they held in their possession anything beyond a normal Target dress.  But the media has so changed over the past couple of years, and people are now finding themselves totally overexposed to things which might not have even been on their radar in 2006.  I could go on and on, but I won't. I just find all of this so fascinating.

Anyway, what has been your favorite designer collaboration to date?  Do you think you'll shop any of the three I listed above?

I Scored Some Missoni But...

Every Tuesday morning, Brandon and I go out for our weekly grocery shopping trip.  Yesterday, I wanted to stop by Target first to check out the hyped up Missoni for Target collection that was scheduled to hit stores that day.  I envisioned us gliding up the escalator (for some reason you enter our Maryland Target via an escalator), stopping by Starbucks for my tall Pumpkin Spice Latte, and casually browsing through the hundreds of items I'd been so looking forward to seeing from this designer collaboration collection.  But, as soon as we got to the top of the escalator, I spotted the Missoni women's clothing section, totally turned upside down!  It was only 10 AM, but everything was gone... well, almost everything.  People were literally fighting over what was left.

We walked around the store to check out some other stuff, and when we circled back by women's clothing, I was able to snag a few shirts and took them to the fitting room to try them on.  The fitting room was filled with lurking vultures, fighting over every item that people returned to the rack.  A couple women had their carts overflowing. (Thousands of dollars of merchandise!)  I guess I'm pretty naive, because I kept wondering why they'd buy that much stuff that wasn't even in their size.  It took a while before the word "eBay" came to my mind. If this situation sounds familiar, you might remember Lanvin for H&M last year. My husband managed to find me a dress while I was trying on the shirts. (Isn't he the greatest?) So I chose the dress and my favorite one of the shirts and got out of there. I literally was afraid someone would steal the items right out of my hands!

Basically, what a gross, disillusioning display of greed, and a creepy way to ruin something that was supposed to simply be a fun celebration of fashion made accessible to Target customers. I had absolutely no intention of buying more than I did, but I really was looking forward to just seeing the collection in person! Apparently, the scene I experienced at our local Target repeated itself all across the country.  The disappointing launch garnered national attention. The mass retail store was lambasted by disappointed customers on their Facebook page.

Stuff like this really gets me thinking.  Has the depressing state of our national economy caused people to stoop to new lows?  Has consumerism taken the average person, once uninterested in fashion, to an obsession with logos and novelty?  As I type this, there are currently over 25,000 *edit, 35,000* Missoni for Target items listed on eBay, many items being purchased for higher prices than Missoni Collection at Bergdorf's. Honestly, I wish people would boycott Missoni for Target items on eBay. 

On the upside, I love my new dress and shirt, and look forward to wearing them once all this craziness dies down! I promise I'll post pictures when I wear them in the next few weeks! :)

*UPDATE: Pictures of me wearing my Missoni for Target finds!

Could next month get any better?

What's life without having things to look forward to? Today, I thought I'd share with you what I'm most excited about in the month ahead!

Sketch of Ladurée's new Madison Ave. location / Ladurée's facebook page

1. Ladurée Opening in New York--  I think I better repeat this for significance. Ladurée is coming to New York!!! My mother-in-law tipped me off to this after reading about it in Veranda Magazine, even though I didn't find confirmation from Ladurée until just a few days ago. If you are at all familiar with me or my blog, you are aware of my love for all things Ladurée, and can probably guess at my excitement for the Parisian macaron shop/tea salon arriving stateside.  Yet, I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this. Sometimes, when I reflect on globalization, I feel conflicted about its effects on traveling.  There's something magical about getting to visit Ladurée when you can only do so in Paris. But I guess if London and Tokyo get to share in the fun, so should NYC! I can't wait to visit the new shop next time I'm on the Upper East Side! It officially opens at 1 PM this Saturday, August 27th.

Fashionista

2. Missoni for Target-- I feel like I've been hearing rumors of this epic 400-piece collection for months now, and I can't believe there's finally proof! I am a huge fan of designers collaborating with chain stores like Target and H&M, because of the way this makes the designer's most signature looks accessible to us normal people.  Missoni's fabulously colorful zigzags and mod floral prints will be coming to a Target near you on September 13th.  (But if your Target is the same one I go to, I'd appreciate if you hold off for a few weeks.  I call first dibs!)

The Cut/NY Mag

3. Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's Impulse-- Karl Lagerfeld is one of the few living people who completely fascinate me.  After seeing a photo of one of his Macy's dresses in Vogue, I've been searching for more. I think the collection is just great. I'm not super inspired by it or anything, but I definitely want the Karl tank top and am pondering if this might finally be my chance to attempt (faux) leather leggings. I like how New York Magazine describes the collection: "It's all very Karl, meaning that if you want to dress like the girl version of him, but not invest in real leather, it's just the thing for you." The 45-piece collection hits stores on August 31st.

Personal photo / Amateur state illustrations also by yours truly

4. Julianne Meets Maryland!-- On September 20th, one of my best friends is flying all the way out from California to visit me in this little state of Maryland I've learned to call home.  I can hardly contain my excitement for a week of East Coast adventures!

Sooo... what are you looking forward to in the next month? :)