Today was the big day in Australia for Target to launch Stella McCartney’s limited edition collection of clothing. Australian fashionista’s camped outside of Target like Americans on Black Friday eagerly awaiting the doors to open so they could snatch every piece of clothing possible. Many duked it out grabbing clothing from one another while others stripped the mannequins bare. Some kept the clothing for themselves and others quickly posted them to ebay since the collection is not available in any other country.
Stella McCartney’s Target line includes 42 pieces with none going over the $200 mark. This makes for those who love McCartney’s designs, but have to keep budget-minded, the ability to “dress for less.” McCartney’s idea to create this affordable line is to bring her brand to fashion lovers throughout Australia without discriminating monetarily. Once introduced to the brand and the limited edition collection has run its course, McCartney most likely hopes that these fashion enthusiasts will continue to remain loyal to her brand.
Target’s desire to be looked at as the “high-end” brand of its department store competitors appears to have hit the bull’s eye. With Stella McCartney’s collection, Isaac Mizrahi, Sonia Kashuk and its recent collaboration with Erbaviva to sell Erbaorganics and now distributing Boots, Target seems to keep collecting big names to broaden the scope of their brand while remaining within the boundaries of being completely affordable but not “cheap.”
What do you think? Will adding more designers like Stella McCartney take Target up a notch in the department store wars?