Fashionistas everywhere, brace yourselves. Check your bank accounts, clear some space in your closets and meet me at Target on Sunday, Feb. 9, 8 a.m. sharp. Yes, it’s almost here, Target’s next designer collaboration is dropping this weekend. Prepare for abstract, geometric prints and catwalk-ready dresses courtesy of British brand Peter Pilotto.
Target’s upcoming collaboration follows the immensely successful 3.1 Phillip Lim collaboration that debuted in September of last year, dubbed by many as “Limsanity.” London-based designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos started working with the budget-friendly retailer after being approached in March 2013. They follow in the footsteps of design giants like Zac Posen, Missoni, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu, to name a few, who have all produced successful collaborations for Target, providing high-end design without high-end prices, perfect for the fashion savvy woman on a budget.
Many celebrities from Miranda Kerr to Kerry Washington and Selena Gomez have been spotted wearing the iconic prints and sculptural designs the brand is known for.
“Our brand is about print, yes, but it’s also about the emotional feeling you can get from color and color combinations,” the designers said to Target.com.
A Peter Pilotto garment can range anywhere from $500 to $2,000, with dresses averaging around $1,500, but the Target collection offers shoppers the same iconic designs as the designers’ regular collection. The Target looks, however, range in price from only $14.99 to $79.99. Let your wallet breathe a sigh of relief.
The collaboration is a work of abstract art, filled with bold, black and white floral prints with pops of yellow, royal blue, hibiscus orange and apple red, overlaid with vertical, black stripes. Shoppers can expect runway-worthy cocktail dresses, bustier-style swimsuits, separates from pencil skirts to sleek rash guards and beach gear from coverups to totes. Get classy with colorblock blazers and belted dresses mixing florals, stripes and geometric designs. The collection also features an edgy, printed crop top with cutouts, geometric sweatshirts and a too cute floral romper in a bold, multicolored floral print. Pilotto and De Vos must have thought of everything a woman needs in her spring wardrobe when designing for the collaboration.
The standout pieces include a strapless, fit and flare cocktail dress with a bold, floral print, coming in at the top of the price range at $79.99. A scuba-styled, fit and flare dress with a blue and green, psychedelic floral print is a must have from the collection, priced at $69.99. The swimsuits are also must haves, including a yellow, bustier bikini top in a black, white and yellow floral print with vertical stripes overlaid. The swim top is $22.99 and bottoms are $16.99.
This is the first Target collaboration that will also be sold internationally on Net-A-Porter.com, previously only being sold in the states. Target doors won’t open till 8 a.m. on Sunday, but the collection should be available on the retailer’s website in the early hours. Target will likely not release that time due to the site’s crashing in past Target collaboration releases, leaving anxious shoppers to refresh the Target homepage until the collection drops Sunday morning.
Until then, plan ahead. Most Target collaborations mean hoards of passionate shoppers waiting for the doors to open so they can dash inside and buy everything they can, many of whom end up re-selling pieces from the collections on eBay for double or triple the price. Know what you want from the collection, budget yourself, grab what you can, quickly try on and make your way out, couture in tow.
Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com