McQ Alexander McQueen for Target

[lucy92]

He's got a very good point when he talks about rejecting H&M's offer. Doing a collaboration with H&M would not make him more known in America. Especially as the "designer" items at H&M are usually only in three or four cities in the USA.

Because the line will be done with Target more people will have access to it. They could walk into Target in order to purchase something for the home and walk off with a really nice graphic t-shirt. they could be browsing on target.com for say, pet items and notice the clothes as well.

in order to purchase something from an H&M designer collaboration a shopper would have to have an enormous "game plan". they would have to wait in line, perhaps overnight and they'd only have a few minutes to purchase something before the line "sold out".

here the process is more organic. a potential shopper can see a MCQ for target garment in a magazine and actually has the potential to buy it. they can appreciate the item for what it is, rather than an item to item to buy and resell for twice as much.

and i think that some designers must find it galling the sheer greed that comes out with the H&M collaboration.

 

[novella]

^ Well said.

I'm so freaking excited for McQueen's Target collection and the clothes look so cool!

I just hope that they don't do junior sizing if the clothes are really targeting 18-34 year olds.

It's a shame that McQueen didn't do anything for men. Target's menswear is horrible and it'd be a good opportunity to do some designer collaborations for men. I guess Target doesn't see as big a market for men as they do for women with their Go International lines for women...

 

[kimair]

thanks for posting the other article lucy...
i am not liking this so far...it seems very cheap compared to the other target collaborations...
i'm waiting for more images to come out before making a final judgement though...

 

[Scott]

well i believe they would start attracting men if they would do it on a consistent basis. i mean basing sales on just what keanan did or a line they did 6 1/2 years ago,it won't garner much of a following. if they did some of the projects for men as they do women,perhaps they will begin to find that male target(no pun).

 

[Whitelinen]

I don't get why it's so bad for his reputation?
Especially considering he is already wh*ring it out to Puma and Samsonite. Every time a big designer teams with Target there is a big deal in the Media. It's as if by designing for cheap is really charitable and endearing...
The fashion crowd get excited and the rest of the public who never knew about the designer before get excited.
And when the product finally hits stores a newsworthy stampede stampede break out.

Wonder why they didn't mention Stella Mac in that WWD quote? Is it because Target Aus and Target US gets different designers?

I'm still waiting for someone to do Kmart

Well, those who oppose this Target deal probably haven't been very into his previous collaboration with Samsonite, Puma and MAC. At least I have thought them extremely bad moves from him... however, Target is just a much bigger deal than designing a suitcase. He is actually designing clothes, not accessories etc. here, thus more discussion. There's far more publicity involved in something like this. It is just simply a bigger deal. Bigger deal = more talk = more negative opinions.

And really, those clothes truly look bad to me Might I ask what exactly is great in them, if you like them?

I just get the feeling McQueen doesn't even bother to design himself these days. Ok, great, you want your work to be better known across the pond. However, why exactly? He has been doing great in the European market. I always thought he was a visionaire, someone who wanted to design clothes that were out of the norm... not imprint his name on everything.

 

[Scott]

well they're only two pieces(a tshirt and a tshirt dress no less) that are obviously styled/mixed with other things not associated with target at all. but i hope we begin to see a steady stream of previews because you can't really judge the entire line nor the quality based on just two small images with only two pieces.

and btw,obviously he's heavily involved in this otherwise he wouldn't speak in such intimate terms about this project.

 

[Whitelinen]

well they're only two pieces(a tshirt and a tshirt dress no less) that are obviously styled/mixed with other things not associated with target at all. but i hope we begin to see a steady stream of previews because you can't really judge the entire line nor the quality based on just two small images with only two pieces.

and btw,obviously he's heavily involved in this otherwise he wouldn't speak in such intimate terms about this project.

Perhaps it's all just talk. A good businessman can convince the customer. I have no doubts about McQueen being a good businessman.

 

[spiralsnowman]

Thanks for posting the article Lucy!

At least it's comforting to know that the line is going to be at a higher price point (~ 129.99). It's doubtful that McQueen's aesthetic could have been translated into a $40 garment made of materials worth $15, however much it was diluted.

 

[lucy92]

i believe this is the other top they mention in the story (the one with the other band members heads on them) wwd.com

 

[rollagasper]

The dress is interesting! Other than that, i don't really see anything special from whhat's posted so far...

 

[unche]

Nor does McQueen see any irony in the fact that his gowns cost thousands of dollars while his clothing for Target, which operates 1,658 stores in 48 states, will be priced under $129.99. That’s because McQueen knows what it’s like when money is tight. “I was brought up on this,” said McQueen, the son of a London taxi driver. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”

That reminds me a little of what Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough said in Vogue when they released PS for Target: that their friends are young people who can't afford to buy their clothing otherwise.

 

[educo]

we'll have to wait and see about this one. I'm worried that it will start to look too hipster. I do think, that because this collection is not part of the junior Go International line, it will bring about the crowds to the stores. That change of sizing joins TWO markets instead of one. I mean, look at how CDG* H&M went here and IMO that line is less known here than McQueen even with the few stores that were carrying it.

 

[lucy92]

i love the idea of the collections being focused around one muse (here leila moss is the muse for mcqueen)

i'd LOVE a raf simons collection for target with manic street preachers as the muse. his mens spring 2003 collection was heavily influenced by that band.

i imagine that the reception for mcqueen would be even more frenzied than the proenza schouler collection with things selling out online in days.

 

[loladonna]

I think they needed to get a big name designer in to revitalize the whole Go International. The past few designers only complete fashionistas knew who they were.

Are they sure this is targeted up to 34 years old though? Those pieces don't look like it.

 

[from: sophia]

source | targetaddict

 

[daniellat]

the looks are interesting but i dont see myself buying any of that stuff

 

[stateofbliss]

I really like the gray blazer. Thanks for posting these.

 

[Deleted member 82231]

The kimono ensemble is fantastic, and I usually don't like that style for myself. I don't know if it's because of the grey suit with the pink belt...the proportions are fantastic as well.

Can't wait to see more.

 

[unche]

I'm going to start saving money now >.< Great jackets.

 

[educo]

SH*T I have the pattern for that kimono thing. That's a ripoff from 2004 i think. Those things were going on ebay fro crazy dough!