Last week my 80 year-old man-friend took me to the WaDuke for a romantic dinner and to discuss how much money I’ll be getting in his will. Nothing special. At the end of the date, as expected, I received a gift: a Missoni scarf. I was initially thrilled, but the next day, as I was getting on the C-2 to go to a meeting on Central I overheard a couple of girls in conversation. They were talking about something called ‘Missoni for Target’: a new line of designer products at a (much) cheaper price. I looked down at the tag on my new scarf: it read, ‘Missoni for Target’. I’d been played!
Of course, I fabricated this entire story (or at least that’s what I’m telling people), but it’s amazing how similar some of the pieces are while the price difference is so steep. The cheapest Missoni scarf on the market sells for about $150, while one from Missoni for Target goes for about $20, and there is visually little difference. It’s not just the scarves: the dresses and sweaters look just as authentic. Missoni did a great job on this new bargain collection. Missoni for Target is an unusual collaboration that is making a real splash in the fashion world. I mean, it even crashed the Target website!
Nevertheless, barring the tag, here’s how to tell when you’re sugardaddy’s playing you: the following are the major differences between the Missoni runway collection and the Target clothing collection. The fabric Target uses, although technically the same material, feels much thicker. The consistency comes off almost like yarn, while the runway fabric feels more delicate and sleek.
Secondly, the colors for the Target collection are brighter than the customary colors used in traditional Missoni patterns. On that note, the patterns themselves are less intricate than this year’s runway collection.
Missoni is moving forward with variations on their originals this year. They based their Target line on traditional patterns, excluding a flower made exclusively for the Target brand. The Missoni designer brand continues to advance its line with colorful tribal prints (the Missoni summer 2011 runway collection), and elaborations on previous designs. It is almost as if the Missoni company as a whole is maturing and passing their originals on to the Target label.
However, that does not mean these items are no longer in style. Fashionistas left nothing behind at the Durham Target, and you can barely find any pieces online. One woman even tried to sell Missoni for Target rainboots on eBay for $31,000: a little ironic for a bargain brand!
Photo source: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=missoni+for+target&hl=en&biw=1125&bih=664…