Italian Missoni Targets New Consumer

Following in the footsteps of high profile designers such as Mulberry, Alexander McQueen, Thakoon, Anna Sui, Luella Bartley, Zac Posen, Temperly London, and Jean Paul Gaultier (just to name a few), Missoni is the most recent in a string of designers to collaborate with the American retail juggernaut Target. Not only do these collaborations create fantastic business for Target, they also breathe new life into arguably stodgy fashion houses.

By creating this limited "accessible" line (prices range from $2.99 to $399), Missoni is given the chance to tap into an otherwise disconnected market segment. A market segment one might refer to as "regular people." Although many people adore Missoni items, as they're even spotted on shows like "The Rachel Zoe Project," few of us can justify a $450 for a throw.

So with all the buzz about "Missoni for Target" I knew I absolutely had to get my hands on some merchandise. Spending $50 on a single throw seemed much more reasonable to me, although still a lot for Target merchandise. Three stores later, 2 hours of my life, and countless evil stares from other people trying to snatch up what they could find, I was able to get several statement pieces.

Sadly, I wasn't able to acquire any bedding (therefore my head won't be resting on brightly hued zig-zagged stripes). I was, however, able to get quite a few kitchen pieces such as cups, mugs, trays, canisters, a wine box, and few other household items. What surprised me the most about these items was only the exceptional price points, but also the quality. Target's product development team certainly didn't go stingy with the materials and composition of merchandise for this collaboration. The colors were vivid, the prints looked authentic, and each item felt like it truly would last the test of time.

Although most Target stores are entirely sold out, I do encourage everyone to check Ebay as I've found quite a few items I'd like to bid on and add to my collection that weren't priced too high compared to Target's regular retail. Some inflation is to be expected, but overall I feel this collaboration has pieces worth searching for.