Target likes to keep us on our toes when it comes to its designer collaborations.
Its next partner, the Minneapolis-based retailer has announced, will be Victoria Beckham, who first rose to fame as a member of the British pop group Spice Girls and has since become a style icon and designer.
Her 200-piece collection will hit Target stores in April and will include women's dresses, rompers and "playful" tops and bottoms as well as her first foray into children's clothing. Prices will range from $6-$70, with most items under $40.
"Victoria is arguably the most widely known design partner we've ever worked with globally," said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. "She came into public awareness through entertainment, but she has established herself and has a very good reputation as a designer. That's not always an easy transition but she's very well regarded in the design community. She's very talented."
Beckham is one of the biggest celebrities Target has partnered with in its limited-time collaborations, a concept that the retailer pioneered many years ago and continues to use to create buzz about the retailer as a fashion destination.
In the past, Target has tended to pick either up-and-coming designers who are not yet a household name such as Joseph Altuzarra or Proenza Schouler — or labels that have been around for decades such as some of its most popular collaborations ever with Lilly Pulitzer and Missoni.
Beckham, who started her first label about a decade ago, doesn't quite fit into either camp, though Target officials often note there is no one set formula.
Target executives first met with Beckham about two years ago in London to discuss a potential partnership. Many follow-up meetings later — in London, New York and Los Angeles — the stars finally aligned.
"For a while now, I have been thinking how great it would be to work on clothes for a customer that either doesn't want to pay or can't pay designer prices," Beckham said in a Q&A posted to a Target blog. "I loved the idea of opening the brand up to a wider audience and being able to share my vision with a broader customer base."
The Target collaboration will be a spin off Beckham's second label — Victoria, Victoria Beckham — which has a more relaxed, upbeat feel compared to her more sophisticated namesake line.
After years of criticism that Target's design collaborations did not come in plus-sizes or that they were only available online, the Beckham collection will be the first one to include plus-sizes in stores. But there's one caveat — not all stores will have that broader size range, just a few hundred stores or so. Plus-sizes will also be available online.
The timing of the announcement had some peculiarities. The news broke in the middle of the night in the U.S. That was partly so it could be released first thing in the morning in Beckham's home in England. And while in the past, Target has often announced its next design collaborations about a month or so before they hit stores, this one came a full six months in advance.
That is another reason why there are no pictures or sketches of the collection yet. So stay tuned for those until after the holidays.
Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113
