From Runway to Your Local Target Store

When I started thinking about what direction to go in for posting about fashion, the movie The Devil Wears Prada immediately came to mind. For those who haven't seen it, the basic plot is about a girl who wants to be a journalist. She gets her first job at a fashion magazine working as the editor's personal assistant. The girl has little knowledge about fashion, and doesn't think it's really all that important. But in the clip in the link below, her boss scolds her, helping her realize that even the color of a sweater is the result of a long line of designer fashion ideas that trickle down to the shopping mall consumer.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/13046/the-devil-wears-prada-cerulean-sweater

Watching this scene from the movie again got me thinking about the idea that the clothes we wear are usually a lower-priced, re-created version of a trend that some big name designer created.

Example: My roommate and I were recently discussing how a cotton hooded coat from Old Navy that we both own really began as an item at a higher-priced designer clothing store called Free People. We both bought the coat last fall, and by this fall, a similar coat was available at another popular lower-priced store, Forever 21, and can be spotted often around campus. Another Example: I love the vintage-inspired styles at Anthropologie, but even a sweater at this store runs about $100 and up, a bit above my college-student budget. Therefore, I get ideas from this store, and then search out similar styles at lower-priced stores that I can afford. It seems that when the designers at the more mainstream stores realize a trend is going to be big (i.e. it was seen a lot on the fashion week runways, etc.) they develop their own version of it that the masses can afford...and usually by the time lots of people have realized it's the "new cool," some new trend is on the horizon that will eventually make its way into our shopping bags.

But Target is changing all of this. In the past couple years, the store has introduced its customers to designer fashions on a Target budget. It began mostly with home and interiors items, like the Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Line and Michael Graves' kitchen items, as well as Sonia Kashuk's cosmetics line. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi followed along, with classic collections for each season, from clothes, to shoes, to sunglasses. He has even designed affordable wedding and bridal party wear available exclusively on the Target website.

Target clearly realized their customers liked the idea of designer items at a lower price point. One of their key advertising focuses in the past year has been on their slogan "Design For All: Great Design. Everyday. For Everyone." (http://www.target.com/b/ref=in_br_display-ladders/180-8787102-7720355?ie=UTF8&node=16317011) They launched the "Go International" campaign for the juniors set, in which emerging designers like Proenza Schouler, Luella Bartley, Behnaz Sarafpour, Rogan and Richard Chai have introduced their fashion ideas to the masses. According to an article in Women's Wear Daily, "industry sources have estimated that Go International does more than $100 million in annual sales." (http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/target-to-launch-mcqueen-line-1850364)

With the success of other designer collections, Target has recently developed a new designer program, this time called "Designer Collaborations." Beginning in March, Target stores will begin selling a series of collections by more established designers, still at the lower Target price. The first designer in the series is the very-well known Alexander McQueen, who will call his Target line "McQ: Alexander McQueen for Target." Trish Adams, Target's senior vice President said of the designer collections: "Both programs are geared toward our trend-minded guests who are always on the hunt for the newest and hottest looks at an affordable price...designer Collaborations is another way in which Target brings an emporium of designers to our guests."



Target currently features more than 15 designer collections, ranging from products like make-up to party supplies, and of course, clothing. Target has appealed to our inner-desires for designer goods. I also think the idea of designer collections has helped set Target apart from other big box stores like Wal-Mart by creating a visually-appealing (through displays, packaging, and actual goods for sale, etc.) shopping environment for customers looking to get beautifully designed products at a similar price point.

Target has created a change, even if it's small, in how we buy goods. Instead of simply selling a watered-down version of a runway trend, Target has brought the real designers to the masses. I've bought many items from these collections, and I think this is probably because I like the idea of owning something that was designed by someone who's other items I could never afford.

So here's a few questions I would like to hear your thoughts on (you don't have to answer all of them)...Do you agree with the idea presented in the movie clip that the items we wear (and often don't think much about the design of) have trickled down from some earlier designer idea? Do you participate in the purchasing of these lower-priced versions of designer fashion trends? Do you base your purchasing of items of clothing on designer or brand-name items or other factors like fit, personal taste, etc.?