Big name designer on a budget
- Reporter: Laticia Gibson
- Broadcast Date: April 02, 2008
Designer Jenny Bannister is predicting dire things for Target's latest designer collection, claiming it won't connect with the store's budget-conscious clientele.
"I doubt you can even buy his real label here in Australia," Jenny said. "If you could, it would be in a very expensive boutique, where Target customers would dare not enter."
Sunday Age Fashion Editor, Rachel Wells, took a different view.
"I don't think they are bogans, people who shop at Target," she said. "I think these days, particularly in the current economic climate, people are shopping across all different sectors of the market."
"There are a lot of consumers who wouldn't be able to afford a Zac Posen garment and this collaboration is giving them an opportunity to do exactly that, at about a tenth of the price."
Target's General Manager of Merchandise, Larice Lewis, dismissed suggestions customers will struggle to bond with the 20-piece collection.
"I think that the Target customer is a very educated and well-informed customer," Larice said. "So I think they will see the value that we have on offer as part of the Zac Posen range, which is fantastic."
Last year, the retailer caused mild hysteria when it launched it's Stella McCartney range. But Jenny Bannister is certain that success won't be repeated.
"I don't think they're going to be loading up the supermarket trolley, with their boyfriend riding shotgun - as someone said for the Stella McCartney range - because it's sort of an unknown quantity," Jenny said.
While not a household name here, Zac Posen is a favourite amongst Hollywood celebrities such as Katherine Heigl, Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet. But don't expect Target's garments to be boutique quality - they'll be manufactured cheaply in Asia, a fact which angers the patriotic designer.
"Obviously, they don't understand that our industry's nearly finished and I'm just trying to keep it going," Jenny said.
"I'm very passionate about it and everyone else has run off to China and India to have their clothes made, because it's cheap. It's taught Australian consumer that they can go to a chain store and buy cheap clothes and wear them once or twice, and then throw them out."
"hat's just not right, it's landfill."
Rachel again took a different view.
"Sportsgirl have done it with a lot of local designers, Portmans did it with Willow, a very famous Sydney designer, Ksubi have done it with Jeans West, so there's been several different collections," Rachel said.
"Target has done it with local designers before as well."
With copycat levels at an all-time high in the fashion world, Rachel expects to see similar collaborations become the norm.
and they really interviewed some clueless people. 
See here: #
I really didn't feel the vibe of his clothes for Target this season 
. What a disappointment? 
But you know what? I haven't been feeling his collections for a while anyway... 
