As if it weren’t already hard enough to walk out of Target without spending money, the retail store recently announced the debut of a holiday collection, in collaboration with department store Neiman Marcus.
The partnership will feature 24 designers, among them Council of Fashion Designers of America sweethearts Brian Atwood, Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Tory Burch. The collaboration marks the finale of the CFDA’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
Target is no stranger to designer collaborations. Their GO International collection, launched over five years ago, has featured prominent designers at affordable prices. Erin Fetherston, Thakoon, Zac Posen and Rodarte have all offered their designs to the collection.
Prices for the holiday haul will range from $7.99 to $499.99, with most items less than $60. Perhaps this really could embody the term “one-stop shopping” — designer labels, sans headache-inducing trips to the mall, or spending a fortune for the real deal online.
Although the joining of these two retail giants seems divine, there’s a flip side as well. Neiman Marcus is bringing the bourgeois to the 'burbs. The fine line that once separated class from the mass market is being crossed.
What effect will this have? This could either raise the stakes for Target, already considered a top-tier retail experience when slated against competitors such as Walmart and K-Mart, or knock Neiman down on the totem pole for stooping to the masses.
Could we see the iconic Tory “T” emblazoned upon a bullseye? Juergen Teller’s haunting Marc Jacobs editorial photographs featuring Bullseye the bull terrier? At this point, it’s hard to predict. But the power lies in the labels.
Full details will be made public in the fall, but until then devotees can generate hype via Twitter by following @ABullseyeView or @NeimanMarcus, with hashtag #Holiday24.