There has been a huge fusion in the fashion world.
The high end Italian design house, Missoni has collaborated with Target to develop a line of 400 items. The Missoni family viewed the deal as a way to bring one of Italy’s best-known luxury brand names to a wider audience.
Missoni knit wear typically retails for more than $1,000 in boutiques and luxury department stores.
At Target, most items were less than $40 and included knit dresses, cardigans, rain boots, shoes, bedding, lingerie, luggage, dinnerware, stationary, and iPod covers. Most items featured Missoni’s famous zig -zag print.
The success of the Missoni line has been unprecedented. Target did a huge campaign advertising in Vogue, Fashion Week, and Fashion Night Out. I don’t think anyone could anticipate how popular this was gonna be.
Here’s an example of the savings consumers are being offered by purchasing Missoni at Target.
Banded V-Neck Dress at Bergdorf Goodman’s and Neiman Marcus $1,490
Missoni for Target Sleeveless Sweater Dress- Multicolor Zigzag Print $54.99
Luxury designers doing more moderately priced lines for retailers is very popular. Missoni isn’t the 1st line. Architect Michael Graves was one of the 1st at Target over 10 years ago. He put his signature flair on teapots and toasters.
Ana Sui, John Paul Gaultier, Rodarte, and Issac Mizrahi followed suit with their own Target lines.
Other retailers have jumped on board. Kohl’s Corp. partnered with designer Vera Wang, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. did a deal with Norma Kamali, and H&M has offered limited editions from Roberto Cavalli Jimmy Choo, and Karl Lagerfeld.
Soooo….being the B.O.B (Baller On a Budget) that I am, I had to see the Missoni line for myself.
I dropped Mo off at school and Bronson and I headed to our local Target. As I pulled into the parking lot, a sea of Range Rovers, Bentleys, and Mercedes Benz greeted me. A huge shift from the Toyotas and Kias I normally see in the parking garage.
As soon as I walked in, I saw a huge cluster of women, mostly clad in designer duds, full makeup, huge diamonds, and Chanel bags. I’m no fashion heavyweight, but I do have a great appreciation for nice things…ON SALE, of course. These were the women who prolly frequented Neimans and Saks and never looked at a pricetag. Or the women who were dressed up and pretending to fall into this category.
What were they doing on my turf??? Isn’t the purpose of the Missoni for Target line to appeal to a DIFFERENT audience??? But hey, times are hard and everyone is looking for a deal these days.
The scene felt worse than Black Friday. The racks had already been cleared by the money saving mavens. I arrived at 8:30 and many of the women had lined up since 7AM for the the 8 AM opening. The only remnants of the Missoni line was billboards and empty shelves.
Target employees gradually brought out more items and they were instantly mobbed by these “classy” women. There were 3 security guards on hand and 2 of the ladies were arrested on site for fighting over the Missoni items. ( I would love to see those Biatches clad in a L.A County orange jumpsuit…a far cry from Missoni). Many of the women complained of hair pulling, shoving, and scratching.
I witnessed store employees being berated and yelled at for not having enough inventory. I saw 2 security guards getting cursed out for being “in the way”. A lot of these women were out of control and downright obnoxious with their self entitled attitudes.
***NEWSLASH*** You are in Target. Simmer down with the snobbiness. Go buy a Coke and some candles on Aisle 12 and REALX!
I was sad I missed the great deals but happy to be part of the action. This was fashion history to me, but I refused to partake in treating store employees and other people as inferior to get a deal on a designer sweater. I strolled by customers who proudly smirked as I admired their Missoni bargains in their buggy.
Then 3 things happened that re-assured me the nice guy doesn’t always finish last.
1. As Bronson and I were playing in the kid section (far away from the Missoni displays) a Target employee walks by with a box. He admires Bronson then informs me his cardboard box is filled with Missoni glasses that are about to go on the shelves in the war zone 1 floor below. He gives me 1st dips. SCORE!
2. As I’m looking for a backpack to Mo (far away from the Missoni displays) another store employess points out about 2o untouched Missoni carry on luggage bags just sitting untouched on the secluded aisle. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. I thanked the employee, grabbed Mo’s backpack as well as one of the Missoni carry ons. SCORE!
3. In need of a couple of tshirts, I wander into the women’s department. The Missoni mob is nowhere in sight bc they are all staked outside the warehouse and shipping doors impatiently waiting for more items. Just as I’m eyeing some $10 tees, a security guard I previously chatted up about all the craziness taps me on the shoulder and informs me a shipment of Missoni sweaters was just put on the floor from. I politely grab one in my size. SCORE!
Then I spot a mom like me, 2 kids in tow, sweatpants, dirty shirt, disheveled hair, no makeup, but a HUGE friendly smile. She’s the 1st Missoni hunting shopper I meet with kids present. I quickly direct her to the sweaters and luggage. She is so appreciative of the finds and goes on to tell me these are her 1st designer items and she never thought in a million years she’d be sporting a designer line she’d seen so many times on tv and the red carpet.
She and I walk past the Gucci clad angry mob and flash a huge smile to them as they side eye our Missoni bargains in our buggies.
I am thankful to Missoni and Target for giving me and this mom an opportunity to indulge our designer taste on a B.O.B budget.
