It’s everywhere, hype about the new Rodarte for Target line. They really didn’t need to do much because when word started going around this collaboration was going to become a reality, I know I for one was quite intrigued to see how it comes out. However the online marketing strategy didn’t stop there, the Mulleavey sisters called in Tavi to help create the hype. It’s quite a unique venture, as it isn’t very often that you see an avant garde luxury designer embrace the masses in such a whimsical way.
The designs themselves look quite darling, tulle, sequins, lace, pulling all the stops on our wishlists. The cardigans have a sheerness (judging from the pictures) that gives them that girlish edge. With price ranges from $9.99 to $79.99 it’s a steal right? I wish I could say so. Perhaps it is, after all it is Rodarte, and even on Gilt.com you’re lucky to get a skirt for $400. But with all the designer collaborations in the past that have ultimately underwhelmed us after a very big hype, remember McQueen for Target? I heard that at New York Fashion Week, hardly anyone showed up to the shopping event. Anna Sui for Target? I tried on a few pieces, and yes I thought they looked nice, but inevitably the price for the quality didn’t add up. I didn’t want to pay $70 for a dress that would probably withstand a handful of wears. Don’t even get me started on Jimmy Choo for H&M, that was a nightmare.
That said, admittedly, I am a bit disappointed I’ll be in San Francisco when the Rodarte for Target line comes out. The nearest Target is an awkward trek out of the city, something I don’t think I will be doing. I was thinking of maybe getting something online instead, but I’d rather see/feel/try it on in person first.
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{ 42 comments }
I don’t know… I think it’s all a bit tacky and unwearable. Hard to like anything that is being worn with combat boots too….
The cardigans with the pockets are kinda cute though.
.-= The Fashionable Housewife´s last blog ..Today’s Outfit: FitFlop Billow Mules in Camel =-.
haha…. when i was 16, i wore docs all the time! these days i’m half tempted, but then i’d just look like a girl stuck in a time warp!
i usually don’t even notice the new target collaborations and then miss them, but i picked up an erin fetherston for target dress that has heavy rotation in my closet. the styling for the rodarte isn’t my cup of tea, but i think i’m gonna go for one of the lace cardigans and one of the dresses with sheer netting at the top. they’re just the same as buying from h&m or f21, no?
.-= calivintage´s last blog ..in the spirit =-.
yeah, what’s up with the styling on this? I was a little surprised too….
You can rock that tulle or lace look from F21 any day. I do enjoy the sources of their inspiration: films like Harold and Maude and Bonnie and Clyde. And the sequin skeleton dress is probably the only thing worth trying for… The rest is underwhelming to me.
.-= dreamsequins´s last blog ..Guest Post: Gift Yourself with The Swelle Life! =-.
that rib cage dress looks like a winner… though personally i don’t know if i could wear it very well…
I loved the Alexander McQueen line for Target. It wasn’t very diverse, but the cuts and the fabrics were much higher in quality than any other collab line that I’ve seen. It look like a high end designer had actually had a large hand in collaborating on low end merchandise, whereas other Go International designers had a team of people putting together some pretty, but ultimately sloppy clothes (with unfinished hems galore!).
I am extremely excited about Rodarte, and I was excited well before the hype machine was in full force. That’s because Rodarte is one of my favorite designers. Of course, that excitement may shift to disappointment once I actually get my hands on the clothes, but at this point in my life, ignorance is bliss. I am dutifully and inanely happy to see this line in stores.
.-= Grace´s last blog ..Most amazing shoes ever =-.
I’m leaving. The only thing I like are the cardigans. I’m disappointed with this line.
I don’t mind it, but i’m always reserved with the high-end designers designing for the Target line. I seem to love it at first, but when I get to the store, the quality just seems much worse than I imagined… but it is always intriguing to me so I always go check it out!
.-= Eunice´s last blog ..featured in N.E.E.T. magazine! =-.
same here!
Love the sheer cardi! Everything else, meh.
I think you hit the nail on the head comparing it to the previous Anna Sui and McQueen collections. Both are some of my favorite designers but the quality in stores was pitiful (ESPECIALLY for the price). The promo pics are beautiful- I’m with dreamsequins, the rib cage dress looks so cool- but I’m sure when I visit it in person I won’t buy a thing.
.-= katie´s last blog ..Pretty in Pink =-.
I’ll also be at the SF Target to Go this weekend, because I definitely feel like my decisions will be based on the feel and quality and that you definitely have to see in person! It’s a pain that Target also say they “can’t predict” which stores the line will be in. I did a post on the line once the whole look book came out and I really think that the pieces that everyone will go out and buy are the rib cage sequin dress and the leopard dress, and then we will all look like clones. Which I feel like is the opposite than what Rodarte actually expresses. Ah, such a conundrum.
http://everydaytorunway.wordpress.com
.-= Lauren´s last blog ..Gratuitous Lutz. =-.
there’s a target to go in sf? wow! i didn’t know that!
but you’re so right about the clones… i don’t like it when there are a million people with the same dress as me…
The Choo thing was a total debacle - serious crap. I have to agree, at their core, all of these luxury brands are about the value of the materials they use and with which they construct their clothing. A cute (if not exactly earth-shattering) item in a cheap fabric is just going to look cheap.
.-= K-Line´s last blog ..Could I Possibly Love This More?? =-.
i liked some pieces of the mcq line, but i agree that the anna sui line left a lot to be desired & only bought a dress when it went on clearance. i’ll admit that i am loving the rodarte lace cardigans, lace tights & leopard belts…oh & the leopard dress featured on dakota fanning in teen vogue. time will tell when it finally debuts on the 20th…let’s cross our fingers the quality won’t be atrocious
.-= lei ann´s last blog ..my outfit is pretty darn boring today. even though i don’t… =-.
I think I like the tights the best.
i like it! while i have yet to see it in real life, $50 seems like a steal for a sequin dress. i would have loved to see a dress mimicking the unobtainable layered, wrapped dresses from the runway…while it may be a bit lacking for rodarte, i think a lot of the target line is stuff i would want anyway!
.-= grace´s last blog ..winterwear you’ll want to buy. =-.
Ehh. I think some of the pieces could be cute on their own…but paired together? Not so much.
.-= Alana´s last blog ..Which would you choose? =-.
i haven’t found much i’ve liked in the Target collaborations lately. the last one was late spring or early summer…Tracy Feith
.-= alexandra keller´s last blog ..holiday =-.
I’m looking forward to the lace and chiffon dresses, and the cardigan. The tees, tops, and the rest-not really my thing. I have to say though, my own blog posts about this have received more traffic than pretty much any other posts I’ve done in the last 2 months. A LOT of people are excited about this line. I’m traveling the day it comes out, so I’m stuck with the online shopping as well.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Patrick Demarchelier Book Signing =-.
I’ll be passing on this one…
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..…denim on denim*… =-.
The only thing I am really liking about this is the nude over white knee highs.
Love Grace.
.-= Grace´s last blog ..Barbie’s a Bitch =-.
I have no interest whatsoever. That said, when I get my mega-deal with Tar-Jay or wherever, I will cut the bitch who doesn’t show up and buy lots of crap.
.-= WendyB´s last blog ..Jewel of the Month: Virginia Woolf Whistle =-.
Aside from the fact that the ribcage dress may make me appear as if I’ve lost some weight, I can now say that I’m not dying over the fact that in England I do not have access to this particular collaboration. Actually, as far as collabs go, the only things I own are a dress and jeans from Kate Moss for Topshop, and they are absolutely nothing special. I really couldn’t care less about these collections now (especially after your assessment of the most promising ones, Jennine); who wants the tease of the essence of our favourite designers at a bargain price, only to be let down by crappy workmanship and fabrics? The fact that these luxury brands are okay with diluting their quality for some publicity is really irritating. It’s not democracy if what you’re giving the commoners is rubbish!
.-= Denise @ Swelle´s last blog ..Heaven is Macaron Cocktails at Ladurée =-.
I only like the cardigans and they’re nothing spectacular. Lately the collections @ Target have been a bit underwhelming. Maybe the allure of the designer/low-retail collaborations has worn off?
.-= Fajr | Stylish Thought´s last blog ..Life of Ms. Thought: Missfit Vintage =-.
I have NEVER been impressed by any of the designer/Target collabs. I wish they were better designed garments made from better quality materials … but they always disappoint. And honestly, I adore Rodarte but this is my least favorite designer/Target collaboration.
.-= Sally´s last blog ..Loving Your Inner Self =-.
I am excited for the cardigans- they look like a fun addition to my wardrobe, but everything else I am not sure….
LOVE the cardigans…other than that…meh.
.-= Rebekah Coleman-Brahler´s last blog ..I’ll have a (pink) Christmas without you… =-.
The Target in Marin is quite nice & the drive is lovely. If you go, check out Sol Food in San Rafael for lunch. I wish I could eat there every day. The chicken & sweet plantains are phenomenal.
Anyway, back to Rodarte for Target. I’m interested in the long sleeved leopard dress I’ve seen pics of. I think it’s exciting from a retail standpoint. Target is kicking butt w/ these good collaboration ideas, IMO. But there are so many retailers offering cute things & I’m not one to buy something just for a label.
.-= Nickie Frye´s last blog ..Vintage Daisy Embroidered Sweater =-.
While many of the designs are adorable in themselves, at the end of the day you are still buying a Target product.
It is still Target specs, Target factories, Target quality, Target fit, Target labor, Target price point, Target fabric mills, etc…
.-= 39th & Broadway´s last blog ..Slums Inspire Fashion =-.
Love the first dress and the yellow cardigan. I will however be checking care labels, and if the quality doesn’t match up to my standards, I probably won’t be buying. Hope there’s some left to look at by the time I arrive in NYC!
.-= KB´s last blog ..I see Paris, I see France =-.
I like the tights. But everything else is sort of meh. Too flimsy looking.
I like the cardi & tights in the 2nd outy…but I would definitely have to see it IRL to feel the fabric, bc it looks kind of itchy…? Nothing here is very inspiring to me though ;-(
XOXO
Amy
.-= Midtown Girl´s last blog ..Twitter Had Me Thinking: Why Do Men Cheat? =-.
I got to see 3 dress at the Target T0-Go shop in DC and I broke down and bought the ribcage dress. It’s too cute and quirky to resist. I didn’t think I’d love it but I do and I’m glad I got my hands on it before it hits stores since you know they’ll always see out!
I work at Torrid, the plus-sized store owned by Hot Topic. My co-workers and I are counting down the days till this line debuts, because we’re all crazy about the sequined ribcage dress. I have a feeling that everyone in town will be wearing though. It’s too cute to pass up.
I went to the preview for the Target To-Go shop last week and saw a few of the pieces. The ribcage dress didn’t impress me in the least — the sequins are only on the front (cost cutting measure) and the ribcage detail looked rather cheap. The halter dress was cute, but nothing special imo. I did wind up buying something I was on the fence with, the peach tulle slip style dress. The price wasn’t bad, its got nice details. As for the rest of the collection, I’ll reserve my opinion until I see it. The McQueen collection was one of the only ones I found that had pieces in it that were very well made with nice details. (However, this couldn’t be said for *all* pieces in the collection. And I think maybe you were misinformed, even on the last day of the pop-up in NYC there were people waiting over an hour to get in the dressing rooms!) I thought the Anna Sui collection was terrible. So for me, the Rodarte line will be a wait and see situation.
.-= Suzanne aka Punk Glam Queen´s last blog ..Target To-Go Demystified =-.
lately the target collabs have been underwhelming. i was really dissappointed by the mcqueen one. the best one was proenza for target, that really merited the hype. also thakoon was pretty good too. the one thing i find appealing from rodarte is the simple striped shirt, but that’s mostly because their look isnt my aesthetic. but if it’s stocked in a target near by i’ll check it out.
I think some of the individual pieces are lovely - and such a bargain, perhaps styled differently. The cardis and tights are winners for me!
http://www.friendinfashion.blogspot.com
x
.-= Friend in Fashion´s last blog ..Sugar and spice and all things nice =-.
I really like the line based on the pictures, (love the delicate cardigans, especially with the combat boots) but for me it would come down to the price and depending on the quality. I would have to see it in person as well (I always do, I don’t buy without trying on ever). Living in Toronto, there is no Target, but when collaborations do happen here (H&M, etc) it always a madhouse I want to avoid in the beggining and by the time you don’t have to brave the crowds, anything is gone, or at least anything worth having usually.
For some reason the Target near me in CNY didn’t feel the need to wait til the 20th to put their Rodarte displays out - They had racks of clothes in the store on Tuesday! Only a small selection - a few skirts, some of the cardigans and tops. The quality wasn’t very impressive, but the for the price I guess they’re okay for a fun item. I was hyped about it after seeing the photos online, but it was a bit of a let-down in person.
I love this collection…. I live in a small town called Pahrump and I don’t drive so I have to Ebay any piece I want I found a lot of cute pieces I want to get, I just inherited some money so I have $$ to spend. I can’t wait to get this dress.. this dress…. and this cardigan…..http://bit.ly/9GzQhN http://bit.ly/d6hdKQ http://bit.ly/aKkrGE
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