Boutiques daydream about Target

Move over, designers -- there's a new collaborator in the Target family: boutique owners.

Announced last week in New York, the Shops at Target will catapult small businesses into a national spotlight, starting May 6. The store-in-a-store concept will bring fresh ideas from boutiques across the country for six weeks, with products selling for $1 to $160.

Target says it's already looking at more boutiques for the Shops at Target in 2013. Just in case the Minneapolis-based corporation wants to do a talent search close to home, here's what some Twin Cities boutique owners say they could offer the retailer.

Moss Envy's Tina and Ryan North: "Moss Envy sells eco-items for your home and life with an approach that appeals to everyone. It would be incredible to create a line of jewelry that was [made of] material from Target's waste stream -- torn plastic bags, paper and old electronics."

Flutter's Michelle Hanson: "My Target collection would be cocktail-inspired: chic, fun with a little sass and absolutely unique. ... Unique style ideas would be something like one-shoulder with a fun ruffle detail in the back, a higher ruffle collar with a sleek skirt, tiered skirts with lighter organza fabrics -- all, of course, at a reasonable price point."

StyledLife's Kevin Quinn: "[I'd offer] a well-edited music and fashion accessories utopia that will channel style-points of '60s Raquel Welch, '70s David Bowie, '80s Rei Kawakubo, '90s Samuel Jackson and modern-day Chloe Sevigny."

n'etc's Nancy Heidman and Veronica Clark: "We would feature a specialty accessories boutique with a focus on scarves. ... Scarves are essential for all seasons, and are timeless."

MartinPatrick3's Greg Walsh: It's difficult to get the ordinary male Target customer to embrace men's fashion direction, and we feel MP3 has the ability to distill current trends and present a direction that has clarity and an approachable collection."

Houndstooth's Amber Toste: "I'd love to do wearable blouses in fun prints, which I have a difficult time finding. It would be more of a Bohemian line. We could do houndstooth prints, of course -- abstract or staggered in classic black and white and colors."

The Nature of Beauty's Terri Bly: "I would want my Shop at Target to be aroma-focused, to re-create that immediate experience of 'Wow, this place smells amazing.' ... I would create a line of fragrance or aroma-based skin care with a seasonal theme."

La Rue Marche's Lisa Shortridge: "My collection would be clothing that bridges feminine Euro styling with edgy New York chic and L.A. cool with a touch of vintage ... and jewelry that's more colorful than just metal, such as a necklace that's long enough to layer, but add some chunky pieces of ribbon."