All Put Together: How to shop a Target collaboration
Fashion is for everyone — it can be playful, creative, colorful or edgy. It doesn’t always seem this way and it’s far from perfect, but the industry is changing. I like that designers, stylists and bloggers are realizing that fashion isn’t one-size-fits-all or that great pieces don’t have to cost thousands of dollars. Fashion is about having fun and trying to come up with new things. I want you to get excited about fashion and see it as universal.
In 2011, Target launched the Missoni for Target line, a release which caused their website to crash, stores to be emptied out within hours and fans resorted to buying pieces with outrageous mark-ups on Ebay. It literally became Missoni for Ebay! But don’t worry; you’ll be prepared for Target’s next collaboration!
On April 14, Target will release its Kate Young for Target collection. Kate Young is a celebrity stylist who has worked with Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman. Williams already debuted one of the clutches from this collection to the premiere of Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). The hype and attention from the media means this collection will probably sell out fast. Don’t worry! These tips will help you out:
Social media
After the great Missoni disaster of 2011, Target no longer releases collections at midnight. Instead, the company starts selling these pieces at an odd hour of the night, like three or four in the morning. Be sure to follow Target’s, Target Style’s and the designer’s Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Throughout the night, they will release hints or let you know that the collection has been released.
Know what to buy
Since Target wants to keep their customers happy and avoid outrageous Ebay markups, the store will never release the entire collection at once. You’re going to have to decide what you want before it’s released. Type the item and name of the designer in the search box for every single item that you want to buy (e.g. “Kate Young clutch”). The tweets and Facebook updates also hint when to start doing this.
Fast online shopping
While everyone and their mother will be invading the store on April 14, Dartmouth students will have to aggressively shop online. Be smart and have your credit card and shipping information saved to your Target account. Don’t have a Target account? Make one. This will save you time and prevent the items you want from selling out before you finish your purchase.
Get a Target credit card
It’s great for two reasons: free shipping and a five percent discount with every purchase made with a Target credit card.
Figure out what’s available in stores and online
Some pieces will exclusively be sold online or exclusively in stores. Try to do your research beforehand. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to call your mother and kindly ask her to go to the nearest Target to buy the pieces that weren’t sold online. Ask someone to go as soon as the store opens. If you live in a big city, there are probably eager customers waiting to make the same purchase and the item will probably sell out. Bribing might help convince your friend or family member to roll out of bed at 7 a.m.