Target employee Rosalinda Reyes sorts through various
women’s pieces from the Missoni line.
Esteban Cortez / The Collegian
High fashion is not always inaccessible in the Central Valley. Thanks to retail conglomerate Target and Italian fashion house Missoni, over 400 vibrant and colorful pieces are temporarily within reach in Fresno and other nearby cities. The highly anticipated collaboration between the store and the prominent fashion house launched Tuesday, Sept. 13 and will remain in store to Oct. 22.
“We’re getting calls about the items every five minutes,” Target executive team leader Linda Vukovich said of the Missoni for Target line. “We’ve had a ton of people coming in for the women’s pieces and buying hundreds of dollars worth of clothes.”
Vukovich oversees the women’s clothing department at Target located on First Street and Shields Avenue. Shortly after the store’s opening, she encountered customers who piled the moderately priced pieces in their shopping carts.
“I met some people who were shopping for relatives from Los Angeles because the stores sold out over there,” she added.
A majority of the pieces reportedly sold out within minutes in various Los Angeles stores. According to The Huffington Post, a line wrapped around a West Hollywood Target store twice before opening.
Missoni isn’t new to the fashion world. The company was founded in 1953 by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, and since then, has maintained a strong family image and a bold signature look.
Much of the excitement surrounding the collaboration is due to the affordable prices Target is promoting along with the line. A Missoni V-neck dress featured on the Neiman Marcus web store is currently listed with a price of $1,490, a price tag that is typically out of the question for the average Fresno shopper. The Target line features several items under $10.
Missoni announced its partnership with Target in May, and since then fashion enthusiasts and bloggers, as well as prolific figures in the fashion industry, have anxiously awaited the Sept. 13 release.
Through collaboration, the duo produced over 400 items featuring the brand’s bold prints, bright colors and zigzag patterns. Items include clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Several home accessories were also produced, many of which were sold out within minutes at several local Targets.
Clovis resident and Missoni fan Lexi Kiker visited two Target stores before ultimately buying several pieces, including a luggage piece at the Target located on First Street and Shields Avenue. She claimed that almost everything was sold out at the stores she visited previously.
“I ran into a woman who bought nearly $2,000 worth of stuff,” Kiker said. “I think a lot of people are planning to re-sell the stuff on eBay.”
Advertising campaigns featuring Margherita Missoni, granddaughter of Missoni founders, were featured in magazines, websites and television several weeks before the official launch. She was also in an interactive shopping video on Target’s official website, where she displayed some of the brand’s pieces and gave advice on how to wear them. Viewers were able to click on the items while watching the video to learn more about the piece and even add to a shopping cart for checkout, according to The New York Times. Target’s website was down for several hours after the official launch due to high traffic.
For high fashion fans like Kiker, the collaboration creates a rare opportunity to acquire an expensive and well-respected brand at an affordable price.
“I love Missoni as a brand and it’s the closest I’ll ever get to owning anything by them,” Kiker said.