Dive Brief:
- Target Corporation and Diane von Furstenberg will release a limited-edition collection of apparel, accessories, cosmetics and home products on March 23, according to a press release.
- The capsule collection will include more than 200 pieces of apparel, accessories, beauty and home products, per the release. Prices start at $4, and most of the products will cost less than $50. For the first time, Target will also release made-to-order furniture as part of the partnership, with prices starting at $300.
- Designer Diane von Furstenberg is collaborating on the line with her granddaughter Talita von Furstenberg, who is also co-chair of the Diane von Furstenberg brand, per the release. The line will be available in select Target stores and through the retailer’s e-commerce site.
Dive Insight:
Luxury brand collabs with mass market retailers have only increased in the past few years, as consumers look for affordable ways to incorporate high-end brands into their lives and retailers seek to distinguish themselves from the pack.
Although JCPenney kicked off the trend in 1983 with its ill-fated but much-hyped collaboration with Halston, Target was the merchant to ultimately refine the idea of “masstige” collections when it launched its housewares collection with designer Michael Graves in 1999. Since then, the retailer has worked on lines with luxury designers such as Jason Wu and Altuzarra, as well as a 2010 line with Gap’s recently hired creative director Zac Posen.
The soon-to-launch capsule with Diane von Furstenberg adds another name to the list of Target’s designer collabs while also touching on the vintage revival trend. The line will pull inspiration and styles from Diane von Furstenberg’s iconic wrap dress, which turns 50 this year, as well as some of the designer’s classic prints and patterns, per the release. In addition, the collection offers tabletop goods and activewear. Apparel will be available for women, girls and infants.
"Every collection we create is about making women feel confident so they can be the women they want to be," von Furstenberg said in the release. "Talita and I are proud to partner with Target to extend that invitation to even more women who want to experience timeless pieces that bring effortless glamour and empowerment to their everyday lives."
The line’s made-to-order furniture will include headboards, benches and room dividers, which “can be customized in one of seven exclusive Diane von Furstenberg for Target fabrics,” per the release.
Diane von Furstenberg’s company, which is privately owned by von Furstenberg and her husband Barry Diller, weathered a bankruptcy and restructuring in 2020, per the New York Times. After closing all but one store in the U.S. and entering into a partnership Hong Kong-based Glamel Trading Ltd., per WWD, the company decided to focus exclusively on ready-to-wear.
In January, Target, which operates approximately 2,000 stores and an e-commerce site, announced new merchandising team leadership including the appointment of Jill Sando to the role of chief merchandising officer. Sando will oversee discretionary categories including apparel and accessories, home and hardlines.
During the company’s Q3 earnings call in January, Target reported revenue of $25.4 billion, down 4.2% year over year.
