Tag: Target designer collaborations

Shopping Trip: Missoni x Target x 2

Yesterday, as you know unless you live in an absolutely fashion-free world, Missoni dropped at Target stores around the country, and online. The stores opened at 8am. I couldn’t make it over until about 8:30. Almost everything I was interested in was gone. I knew when I saw the woman loading the zigzag bike into her trunk at 8:25 that I was doomed.

My main interest is always the housewares. The melamine plates that come out of these collabs actually tend to be good quality. I love my John Derian for Target pieces (thank you Gilt for the pre-sale), as well as the one Liberty of London for Target flowered bowl I was able to grab. Again, I came home with just one miniature square plate. (They actually had a few larger ones left, as well as a nifty dessert stand that I thoroughly didn’t need.)

zigzag missoni storage boxMy Missoni x Target purchases.

My other weakness is stationery and storage containers. I love my John Derian for Target bins, and my Liberty of London for Target hat box. I really, really, love my brand new blue zigzag Missoni for Target covered box. I saw a woman with one in her cart, asked her where she found it, and she said she was on her way to put it back. Voila, it’s now mine. Thank you fellow shopper for sharing!

I also scored a few lovely notebooks. I love them. I so don’t need them. I plan to give one or two as gifts, along with the mini journal sets I couldn’t resist. I gave the clothes a once over, but as usual, no thanks. The purchases from my first trip are above. Unsatisfied. I drove to another Target (after calling to find out the housewares situation over there). No luck in the little square plate department. (Do you see my sole plate above? It’s perched atop the two notebooks.) I left with two more notebooks (one fabric covered) and the journal sets.

I would have easily bought several more zigzag boxes, but overall, I’m happy. I’m guessing Target is pleased too. They haven’t had a sellout collaboration since Liberty of London (March 2010). And then there was the crashing of Target.com. Woof!


Blogger Snobella, who writes “Confessions of a Snobaholic,” had a seriously loaded cart.

Snobella Blogger Target Stylecarrot

By the time I left the stores, the shelves were bare.

Related posts:
• Shopping Trip: Liberty of London x Target
• Deal Alert: John Derian x Target
• Design Diary: John Derian’s Provincetown House
• Montage: 31 Chevron-Adorned Interiors

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Shopping Trip: Liberty of London x Target

The Liberty of London collaboration with Target has been pretty well publicized among the fashion crowd. If you’re on the blog circuit, you know that the NYC pop up shop was so successful they had to shut it down early because the goods were all gone. Apparently merch was available online starting at midnight last night, though I didn’t wait up.

I did however swing by the Watertown store this morning. I got there by 9:30 (the store opens at eight) and already a lot of shelves were bare. Apparently some die hard shoppers waited out in the pouring rain this morning to get first dibs. Soon enough, I saw them – three young women with carts BRIMMING with Liberty print madness. Teapots, watering cans, storage bins, stationary. Later I spotted them on line at the dressing room (I simply slipped the dresses over my leggings and tee) with dozens of pieces in multiple sizes.

The first stuff I found was the dresses. Not impressed. While the patterns were pretty – larger more hippie chick prints than the traditional tiny florals we’ve come to associate with the brand – the fabrication wasn’t high quality (surprise, surprise) and the cuts were either too boxy or too trendy, and the styling mediocre. I passed, but on my second spin ’round the place, wound up picking up a cute mini dress with a tie waist that I’ll pair with tights and a cardi for a pre-spring look. (Unless I decide to return it. I mean, me, in florals?)

The rubber rain boots are cute, but I’m hardly going puddle stomping, especially in pink trimmed florals. The umbrellas were gone; the scarves, again, not high on fabric quality. So I quickly headed to find the home furnishings. Scouting was necessary, as  the Liberty items are scattered throughout the store, in the appropriate departments. There are oversize cardboard flowers strung from the ceiling, which just might indicate where one can find the displays.

The dishes are cute, but were pretty much gone, much to the chagrin of an octogenarian couple hoping to brighten their kitchen. I’m a sucker for stationary, but used self control. There was an abundance of beautifully packaged candles – because they smelled lousy.

The picture frames, however, were a different story. I scooped up (too) many Indienne and art deco print frames in glossy finishes. I’m imaging a picture wall, on which the frame is the art, rather than what’s in it.

There was plenty of bedding (again, not the kind of cotton with which one wants to get intimate) but I didn’t see pillows beyond those piled in other shoppers’ carts.

The baby bathing suits are absolutely adorable. The men’s ties are ok, though maybe a touch on the thin side. The teeny bopper minis and sundresses were definitely cuter than the full size versions. I had my heart set on acquiring one for my friend’s daughter, and insisted her husband put me through to her despite the fact he was on the other line with his sister (this is a matter of FASHION), but lo and behold, third grade girls eschew flowers. Too bad.

My favorite purchase? This shiny, plexiglass lidded box.

Finally, the highlight of my trip was a fellow shopper telling me she knows (and loves!) my blog. I had approached her to take a photo of her overflowing cart. Turns out she has a blog too; read about her Target does Liberty trip. And check out the yellow Foo dogs (not Liberty).