Target marks 20 years of high-fashion collaborations by reissuing 300 of its bestselling items

By Kavita Daswani

Sept. 6, 2019 6 AM PT

Rodarte, Thakoon, Missoni, Proenza Schouler and other major design labels have joined with Target to re-release their previous collaborations as part of the mega-retailer’s 20th Anniversary Collection.

Some 300 limited-edition items from 20 previous design collaborations — think homeware goods from Michael Graves and Philippe Starck; accessories from Hunter; children’s clothing by Harajuku Mini; and women’s fashion from Jason Wu and Zac Posen — will pop up online and in stores starting Sept. 14.

When these collaborations originally launched, they often sold out in minutes. (For example, the Missoni for Target partnership from 2011 had shoppers waiting in lines outside stores before they opened, and the popularity of the collaboration with the Italian label caused Target’s website to crash.)

“Target has forever changed the retail landscape while doing what once was considered impossible — offering great design at an incredible price,” said Mark Tritton, Target’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, in a press statement.

With prices ranging from $7 to $160, these offerings will include Zac Posen for Target’s floor-length magenta printed dress and Stephen Sprouse for Target’s printed men’s swim short. The anniversary collection will be available in all Target stores, but merchandise will range from store to store. According to Target press materials, shoppers can purchase up to five identical items in the same size and color.

Target stores, target.com

Everlane

Everlane, the San Francisco-based fashion brand known for casual classics and its commitment to sustainability, opened its first Los Angeles outpost in August. The 2,000-square-foot store in Venice joins others in New York and the brand’s hometown.

“L.A. is the place we call home,” said Michael Preysman, the brand’s founder and chief executive officer. “We made our first T-shirt in a factory here. We had an office here for more than five years. It was the beginning of Everlane and has one of our largest consumer bases.”

Visitors to the new store will walk through “a gorgeous tunnel” to the fitting room area, which was designed to be a “beautiful escape,” Preysman said.

“All our stores have great fitting rooms, but this is taking it to the next level,” he said.

The offerings for men and women will include the affordable essentials the brand is known for. Hero products continue to be the brand’s high-rise denims, cotton T-shirts and basic sneakers. Prices range from $18 (and up) for tees to about $68 for denim.

“Our roots are in transparency in an industry lacking it,” Preysman said. “We are transparent about our prices. We show the factories that we make our products in, and we are focused on the environment and sustainability.” Also, the brand has pledged to no longer use virgin plastic, including for its packaging, by 2021.

Everlane, 1101 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, everlane.com

Brunello Cucinelli

Italian brand Brunello Cucinelli quietly opened its third Southern Californian location in May by setting up shop at Palisades Village shopping center in Pacific Palisades. Brand officials celebrated the occasion during a grand-opening event on Thursday.

The label, which is worn by stars including Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Lopez and Sterling K. Brown, is known for its whisper-quiet elegance for men and women. (Think a floor-length silk sable crepe dress with shimmering silver straps priced at about $5,000.) It’s also known for its support of educational and artistic endeavors. Founder Brunello Cucinelli himself is a noted philanthropist.

“The brand is based on the principles of humanistic capitalism where its people are at the core,” Cucinelli said, adding that the assortment in the new store in the Palisades would be “more casual and representative of the West Coast lifestyle,” although top-selling items continue to be cashmere and knits.

Prices for luxe items from the Brunello Cucinelli label range from $250 to $20,000.

Brunello Cucinelli, Palisades Village, 1020 Swarthmore Ave., Pacific Palisades, brunellocucinelli.com

‘Art of Television Costume Design’ exhibition

Timed to coincide with the upcoming Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards, the “Art of Television Costume Design” exhibition offers visitors a chance to see up close the sometimes lavish, often quirky yet always spot-on costumes worn on top TV shows on broadcast channels, cable and streaming services.

“I think people are interested in not just watching the TV shows but in getting to know more about them, including the characters and their costumes,” said Nick Verreos, co-chair of the fashion design program at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, where the exhibition is on display in its museum.

The 100-plus costumes from more than 20 TV shows (of which nine have been nominated for Emmys) are split into various categories such as period, fantasy and contemporary. Highlights include flamboyant outfits from FX’s “Pose”; the outlandish ensembles from “The Masked Singer”; and the pristine frocks plucked from the wardrobe of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

“Some of the exhibits also are from shows that have had their last season,” said Verreos, referencing HBO’s fan-favorite series “Veep” and “Game of Thrones.”

The exhibition is free and open Tuesday through Saturday through Oct. 26.

“Art of Television Costume Design” exhibition, FIDM Museum, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, fidmmuseum.org

BLDWN

The streamlined aesthetic and modern stylings of BLDWN are on display in the brand’s first flagship concept store, which opened in August on Melrose Place in Los Angeles.

The 1,100-square-foot location was designed by Montalba Architects and includes white oak, black steel and ribbed glass. For fall 2019, there is the royal blue Garrick jacket for men or the ankle-skimming white cotton-linen Landry dress with a tortoise buckle at the waist for women. Prices for pieces range from $98 to $598.

The opening of the concept store coincides with the company’s overall re-branding. Founded a decade ago in Kansas City, Mo., it was originally called Baldwin after co-founders Matt and Emily Baldwin. In 2013, Matt Baldwin was nominated as one of the best new menswear designers in America by GQ and a couple of years later, the brand was a Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund finalist. Although still headquartered in Kansas City, the creative studio is now based in Los Angeles.

BLDWN, 8424 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, bldwn.co

The Ridge

Since Santa Monica brand the Ridge launched in 2013, co-founder and Chief Executive Daniel Kane has sold a million of its minimalist aluminum wallets. According to Kane, about 700 are bought every day by those people who don’t want a bulky wallet in their back pocket. In late August, he extended the offering from the gunmetal, black, gold and rose-gold color ways to fun prints with his Aloha collection of $85 wallets.

“We’re doing two prints, one with a tiki pattern and the other reminiscent of a classic Hawaiian shirt,” he said. One of the wallets is in black and white and features tropical motifs such as coconuts, pineapples, ukuleles and surfboards. The other is on a sea-colored background with flowers in pink and yellow. Kane said the functionality of the wallets remains unchanged. They are designed to hold up to 12 cards, and a few bills strap on to the exterior.

“They’re a limited-edition item, fun and seasonal,” Kane said.

The Ridge, ridgewallet.com

Gorjana

Gorjana, the jewelry brand founded by designer Gorjana Reidel and husband Jason Griffin Reidel, opened its newest store in early August. The Malibu location joins other L.A.-area spots in Century City, Venice and Glendale.

“Who was I kidding that we were going to get in the retail game and not have a store in Malibu?” Reidel said. “It’s always had a terrific curation of great brands and has really had a resurgence recently.”

The opening of the 500-square-foot space coincided with the debut of Gorjana’s fall offering, the Ana Collection, which she based on her Serbian roots.

“In Serbia, it is [a] tradition to gift a coin to the new mom upon the birth of a child,” she said. The coins, called ducats, are “a symbol of good luck. … The details on the Ana coins are inspired by ducats.” Otherwise, expect to find top-selling items such as the Laguna Adjustable Necklace, which can be worn in different ways.

Prices in the collection range from $30 to $110.

Gorjana, 3900 Cross Creek Road, Malibu, gorjana.com

The Cause Collection
The Cause Collection, a year-old Los Angeles women’s brand that supports various causes and nonprofit organizations through the sales of its contemporary fashion, opened its first freestanding store in late July. Brand founder Cheryl Najafi said the Cause Collection distinguishes itself from other brands by offering customers an opportunity to choose among initiatives supporting tolerance, humanitarianism or social justice. Ten dollars from each sale is earmarked for charities such as GLSEN, which works to eradicate bullying of LGBTQ youth; Healthy Housing Foundation, which supports housing for low-income families; and the American Civil Liberties Union.

“Our mission is to galvanize a community of like-minded people to use their purchasing power to put their money where their heart is,” she said. Available clothing options include silk tops, often with details such as bell sleeves; belted shirtdresses; and wide-legged pants. Prices range from $200 for a silk top and up to $500 for dresses.

“We want women to feel confident and comfortable,” Najafi said. “The clothing is designed to go from desk to dinner.”

The Cause Collection, 8222 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, thecausecollection.com