Fast and Fabulous Fashions at Affordable Prices!

WHAT do top fashion designers Stella McCartney, Erin Featherston, Alice Temperley and relative new comer Jonathan Saunders all have in common?

Well apart from having gorgeous clothes (as all self-respecting fashionistas will know), they are now also united by having produced a range of designer clothing for Target. Up and coming style guru Jonathan Saunders recently joined the ranks after months of speculation, by designing an exclusive limited-edition collection for Target GO International, making the hottest chic designer fashion available to women at affordable prices.

With fab fashions more accessible and affordable than ever before clothes seem to have an increasingly shorter expiry date. A recent report by The Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TCTFIA) found Australian women aged under 30 bought, on average, 112 garments a year - double that of women aged over 30. Many of these purchases then rapidly become excess to requirements (really, how many items can one wear in a year?), with many of those garments relegated to the dark recesses of the wardrobe or given to local charity shops after only a week’s wear!

By comparison the guys were revealed as somewhat more conservative, buying an average of only 29 items of clothing a year.

Is this ‘buy and bin quick’ trend further emerging evidence of consumerism gone mad – fast food, fast fashions - or just an indication of passion for ever changing variety and style in the fashion stakes?

Way back in 2005 fashion designer Stella McCartney created waves when she signed up for a one-time run with UK retailer H&M; this designer also did a range for Target (Australia), launched March 2007.

The trend for affordable access to once elite fashion labels has escalated beyond all expectations since, with a plethora of fashion designers creating budget lines of their gorgeous clothes.

The TCTFIA report suggests that young people have become victims of the fast fashion phenomenon, with cheap clothing dropped into stores more frequently - often weekly.

Within this scenario it seems obvious that budget range designer clothing is likely to be treasured and is at the top end of ‘fashion chain’, but the sheer volume and accessibility of clothing across the board means it’s life time is shorter than ever before.

There are now also emergent concerns about the environmental impact of disposable fashion and where the clothing ends up once its use-by date is up or it is replaced by the next fleeting trend. Raw resources are used at an increasing rate, and once disregarded the huge quantities of clothing must be disposed of.

It seems that the market is ever greedy for more – more affordable fashions, more often, and more quantity and variety. As all good marketers know, marketing is about finding a gap in the market and then filling it.

Richard Chai will soon become the next limited-edition fashion designer to create the a range of chic women's fashion for Target GO International. Chai's exclusive collection including an assortment of tailored separates and chic dresses will be available at most Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com/go in early August, with prices ranging $12.99 to $79.99.

Designer Shoes, Handbags and Jewelry at Affordable Prices!

But it’s not just about chic clothes – it is about an entire look. Fabulous fashionistas require – no demand – accessories to set their outfits off to perfection – and a number of designers have launched into the market to fill this need.

Much vaunted designer Monica Botkier will offer up a line of purses, clutches, and wristlets starting on July 20. Called Botkier for Target, the accessories will be in stores until September 14, 2008. Price points range from $19.99 to $49.99.

New York City based jewelry designer Dean Harris will shortly be offering a limited edition jewelry line. The Dean Harris for Target designer jewelry collection, most of which are nature-related, will be available at most Target stores nationwide and at Target.com from August 17 through December 27, 2008 at prices from $19.99 to $99.99.

Fashion accessories designer giants Anya Hindmarch and Sigerson Morrison are also creating limited edition collections for Target. Anya Hindmarch will be designing a line exclusive, stylish yet affordable designer handbags while Sigerson Morrison will be creating a line of affordable designer shoes which will be up for grabs in early October at Target stores nationwide, with select styles sold exclusively through Target.com. Anya Hindmarch designer handbags are liked by celebrities including Scarlette Johansson, Madonna, Claudia Schiffer, Angelina Jolie for their excellent craftsmanship while Sigerson Morrison's designer shoes are a favorite of celebrities such as Naomi Watts.

Fast and Chic Designer Fashions at Affordable Prices - but could the cost be too much?

Thanks to the fashion revolution of designers now catering for mass markets we can all look better for less. However, should the reality of waste and environmental concerns be given some consideration? Fashion is fickle, and while it's fun to be trendy and gorgeous should we be looking to a more sustainable approach to life in the fast fashion lane? Planet earth and environmental integrity will be in fashion forever.

Jonathan Saunders Fashion for Target

Well it's official, after months of speculation and following in the footsteps of Erin Featherston, Alice Temperley, Proenza Schouler, Luella Bartley and Loeffler Randall, the next fashion designer to create a collection for Target will be the Scottish designer, Jonathan Saunders. He will produce a limited-edition collection for Target’s GO International range, which spotlights new names in the fashion industry.

Known for his refreshingly inventive and original approach to design and use of color, Jonathan Saunders is no stranger to cheap chic: His latest fashion collection for the British high street retailer Topshop features jersey dresses printed with bold, primary color shapes.

I first came across Jonathan Saunders' work during London Fashion Week Fall, 2007 and loved the combo of dashing colors with black statement on both long gowns and sophisticated short dresses. More recently, a number of classy Jonathan Saunders pieces caught my eye in the Jonathan Saunders Fall 2008 Fashion Show (see pictures above). From checking the current Jonathan Saunders collection and prices at Net-A-Porter, it will certainly be interesting to see the Jonathan Saunders collection of women's fashion for Target when it is released in early October.

25% Off Josh Goot for Target Collection

Until August 8, 2007 get 25% off the Josh Goot for Target Collection (Target in Australia). However, as many of the items in the Josh Gooh for Target collection are already reduced, using this 25% voucher could well end up resulting in a 50% discount!!! Now I say at that price, there are some bargains to be had. The Josh Goot for Target range is available in selected stores only. I suggest that you visit your nearest Target store and check out what's on sale. You can also visit Designers for Target (Australia) for full details.

 

Predictable maybe! Many fashionistas that bought this designer collection at full price at the time of release just over a month ago will definitely be upset and even angry. The Josh Goot designer label may also be worse to wear by the lack lustre performance of the collection and the now additional 25% discount on an already discounted range. But what is really a possible loss is that other fashion designers may now think twice about risking this strategy of moving their designer fashions to the mass market in this way! So really, we're all losers on this one :(

Note: Remember, this offer is valid only at participating Target stores in Australia.  Find your nearest Target store for more details)

Josh Goot for Target Designer Collection Countdown

The Josh Goot for Target collection, priced between $59.99 and $129.99, will be available in selected Target stores, beginning tomorrow, June 19. However, before you race off to the sale, I strongly recommend that you do your homework. Check out what's in the collection. Work out what look you are after and what you think will suit your style and budget.

With this in mind I decided to have closer look at the collection and thought that this summary might be useful before attending this Target womens designer clothing sale.

Josh Goot for Target Designer Collection - A Closer Look

While there are many pictures of the collection on the official Josh Goot for Target Designer Collection website and now also on many other sites on the Net, it can all be a little confusing as there are only twelve styles in the collection, including tank tops, a cardigan, a tube skirt and leggings, as well as dresses and the now identified by many as being the must-have trench coat.

Thus, while some pieces are available in different colors, it's a relatively small, 12-piece collection - a lot smaller than the 42-piece collection that Stella McCartney did for Target on March 12. Here's a brief outline of what makes up the Josh Goot for Target designer collection:

1. Racer Back Dress available in either electric/bright blue or silver foil ($89.99)
2. Scoop Back Cocktail Dress in black foil ($89.99)
3. Cross Front Tube Dress in black ($89.99)
4. Tie Waist Dress with Racer Back in black/grey contrast ($89.99)
5. Pencil Skirt available in either black or bright green ($59.99)
6. Black foil Leggings ($69.99)
7. Racer Back Tank available in 3 different colors, bright green, navy and silver foil ($59.99)
8. Scoop Neck Tank available in 3 different colors, bright blue, black and grey marle
9. Cardigan available in either bright green, black or silver foil ($89.99)
10. Knit Tailored Jacket in navy ($99.99)
11. Long Line Hooded Zip Jacket in black foil ($129.99)
12. Knit Trench Coat in either grey marle or silver foil ($129.99)

As you can see, there are four different dresses (Racer Back, Scoop Back, Cross Front Tube and Tie Waist dress with racer back), a pencil skirt, leggings, two different tanks (Racer Back and Scoop Back), a knit tailored jacket, a cardigan, a long zip front hooded jacket and the knit trench coat.

Josh Goot for Target Designer Collection - Great Value!

It's a great collection from a number of viewpoints. Firstly, when you consider that you’d normally pay at least $150 for a Josh Goot racer back tank and that you can pick up a Josh Goot for Target version for just $59.99 or a Josh Goot silver trench coat which usually retails at around $700 at leading international stores such as the prestigious London retailer Browns Focus, Colette emporium in Paris and Henri Bendel in New York, and in Target you’ll be up for just $129.99, given that the quality of material and manufacture is of a reasonable standard then the Josh Goot for Target designer collection offers great value. It offers us fashionistas a great opportunity to pick up a now internationally acclaimed Josh Goot collection of womens designer clothing at a significantly lower price tag!

Josh Goot for Target Designer Collection - From Day to Night, from Work to Play

The other thing I like about the Josh Goot for Target designer collection is that it allows for lots of mix-n-matching to create different looks to suit different occasions. As well as for comfy and stylish casual wear, as shown in the images above, you can easily create a more modern formal look for work. I just hope that at the price, we don't end up going to work and wearing the same Josh Goot designer styles as our work colleagues :(

Josh Goot for Target Designer Collection - A collection for all Shapes and Sizes?

At this time, my only reservation with this range of womens designer clothing is that while the pieces look great on the tall thin models showing them off, will they suit the size, shape and build of the average girl! We don't have long to wait and see. It will also be interesting to see if this womens designer clothing launch will be surrounded by the same mayhem and frenzy, with the pieces disappearing off the shelves within minutes as we saw during the Stella McCartney for Target designer collection launch. It's now only a matter of hours before we get the real drum on all of these issues.

Fashion Designer Josh Goot for Target

Last year it was Sydney-based fashion designer labels Alice McCall and Tina Kalivas and the Melbourne designer label T.L. Wood and then, earlier this year it was Stella McCartney's. But who will be the next fashion designer for the Designers for Target collection?

Will it be another International fashion designer, perhaps New York based Marc Jacobs or Kenneth Cole, or Paris based Hermes, or Costume National of Milan? Or will it be yet another Australian-label, perhaps a designer from Sydney like fashion designer Lisa Ho, Alex Perry, Nicola Finetti and Zimmermann? Then it might well be one of the Melbourne based fashion designers like Alannah Hill? It's a question that everyone has been talking about ever since the Stella McCartney's mania hit Target Stores throughout Australia.

However, with Australian Fashion Week officially launched over night, there are some clues now emerging! In fact, the gossip now is that it will be the Australian and Internationally acclaimed, award wining fashion designer label Josh Goot.

Fashion guru Patty Huntington of The Sydney Morning Herald writes: "Two months after Target shelves around the country were stripped bare within minutes of the arrival of a Stella McCartney's collaboration collection, Target Australia plans to unveil a top secret project with one of Australia's brightest fashion lights, Josh Goot."

Huntington goes on to say that "Target is the principle sponsor of Goot's Fashion Week show on Thursday May 3 at 9.00am - and its logo appears on the invitation. But although neither the Target or Goot camps were spilling any other beans this afternoon, Fashion Season has learned that a Josh Goot/Target collaboration is due be either announced or else unveiled at Target in mid May."

When asked by Rebekah van Druten of the ABC News: Arts & Entertainment site, "The Shallow End" whether he would consider creating a collection for chain stores, Josh Goot replied: "Yeah I would love to. I think it's great. I think it's great to give a wider audience access to great clothes and great designs. I think it's really important. I think it's one of the more exciting initiatives or developments in global fashion this millennium."

So while it hasn't as yet been confirmed, it suggested that Josh Goot will be the next fashion designer for the Designers for Target collection and if it is then the question is, will the not so well known Josh Goot create the same hysteria that Stella McCartney's did with her womens designer clothing collection? Time will tell!

Also, if it is Josh Goot then two other question spring to my mind. Firstly, what can we expect from a Josh Goot/Tarjay collection and secondly, will it be based on the same predominantly grey marl signature shades as in previous Josh Goot collections? The clue to answers to these questions may be found in the Josh Goot collection planned for Australian Fashion Week and on this, the recent Josh Goot interview with Rebekah van Druten of the ABC News: Arts & Entertainment site, "The Fashion End" referred to above might give us some clues. Goot said that "we can expect a lot of bright, fresh, young, sexy clothing. You can expect some new silhouettes from the brand, some new fabric and some new lines. Also a slight ancient Roman current running through it."

And when it comes to the color, Josh Goot says that "What I've done this season is, the colour might be the same but the way that we're dealing with the grey marl is completely different. For example, originally we used it in the 100 per cent cotton. Now we're using it in 100 per cent viscose, we're using it in other blended knits - for example, modal and elastic ... So the grey marl is now being treated by us in a completely different way and performing at a much higher level. So we've evolved the grey marl and that's what the critics should really be noticing."

So it will be interesting to see if the fashion pundits are right and it is Josh Goot, and if so, what the final collection will look like. It will also be very interesting to see if the same hysteria surrounds the release of this collection as it did with the womens designer fashion by Stella McCartney's.