Target|Altuzarra - YouLookFab Forum

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Target|Altuzarra

Angie_T

Did anyone check out the Altuzarra collection at Target Sunday? I happened to be there, and stopped to look but couldn't find anything to suit me. It could have been because the pieces were so folded, creased, wrinkly....but nothing appealed to me. The store associate did tell me that women were lined up at before the store opened to get in to shop it.

Shopping

25 replies

Latest reply was from sparlingo

Gigi

Veteran

No, but thanks for the reminder! There is a SuperTarget near me, and I'm sure they're stocking it. I want to go in and take a look.

Kristin L

Veteran

I haven't checked it out yet, but I hope there are still things available by the time I get there. My Target usually sells out of those collaborations pretty quickly.

crutcher

Veteran

I was in Target for cleaning stuff and browsed the Altuzarra collection...I was just immensely disappointed in the quality...The sweatshirts that were shown in the Lookbook online did not even closely resemble the ones featured in the store...I hope this will be a learning experience for Target and maybe in the future they will attempt a collection with better materials...Really sad...

Angie_T

I have to agree. I thought maybe it was just presentation, but I was disappointed.

Anonymous

I was just in my local Target - the chain is new to us Canadians - and I was laughing to myself at how this one certainly wouldn't be picked to sell the Altuzurra collection - and lo and behold, there it was. I was so embarrassed - for him - the pieces were horrific. That's the only word I have for it. There was a whole rack of a dress - made to look like a shirt and skirt - a reptile print skirt with a blue oxford striped shirt attached. No one in their right mind would - never mind. I can't even go on. Unpressed, poorly hung, horrible quality - a hot mess. Do these guys ever actually go in a store to see what these "collaborations" look like? Argh.

catgirl

Veteran

I was at Target yesterday and felt the same - just BLEH. The floral sweatshirt was cute in theory but overpriced and not good quality. Nothing else even close to worth it.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

They were also selling it on Net a Porter -- I wonder if they did anything with presentation before sending pieces out to those buyers.

I have only gone looking for a couple of the Target collabs and I've always found them to look ultra cheap, wrinkly, etc., just as all of you are describing. I've never bought anything. I can't really see how it helps either Joseph Altuzarra or Target, unless all the apparenlyt free press outweighs complaints.

Anonymous

I don't want to sound like a snob (well, ok I am, but...) but I can say with confidence that very very few of the core Target customer would know who Altuzarra is. He is not established enough beyond the NAP -type customer to be familiar, and for all the Target customer knows, it's another fake name. And this has nothing , NOTHING to do with Target customers. I shop there anytime I'm in an American city big enough to have a good one - and we all buy their stuff. But why try to pretend that a designer like that can produce clothes that work at that price level and with that kind of inferior fabric and construction? I really have to get off this horse I'm on - sorry

Angie_T

Lisa your post made me think of this story I read about the collaboration.

http://m.startribune.com/business/274957551.html

What do you make of this quote from it....

“Target has this shiny, happy persona and [Altuzarra] is a little more urbane and dark compared to some of the other collections that have been a little more whimsical,” she said.

But she said that could be a good thing in reaching out to a different audience and not just honing in on millennials as many retailers are doing these days.

“This gives a little more eye candy to their more mature customers,” she said.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Um, these collolaborations are huge cash infusions to the design houses. Also increase their exposure. Although I haven't checked out this specific one, I have gotten good stuff from previous ones.

Anonymous

I read that article, it was good, wasn't it? I totally get the idea behind it, and in fact support it. Of course it's a way to introduce different design concepts to a different market - we all like to see that with all of the products we buy. I think that the marketing and POS materials could be done much better - and could be a great vehicle for "explaining" the designer, what he/she does and telingl a story about the specific pieces chosen for the collab. I remember when this concept first started years ago, and liking what was being produced - but feeling they had a better connection to the mass market customer . Anyways, I don't mean to start an argument, retail marketing and merchandising happens to be a subject dear to my heart:)

Echo

Veteran

I agree that these collaborations can, in theory, expose a whole new demographic to the brand and bring a huge cash infusion to the design house. However, I have also noticed that it is generally people who are designer-aware or people who already shop a designer who are most interested in these collaborations. Because of this, I think it is important for them to keep in mind the quality on the pieces and the overall impression.

I've seen some fabulous Target designer collaborations, and I have sometimes bought some of the pieces myself. However, I have to rank this particular one as a fail. The pieces that might have the broadest appeal are poorly made or made with sub-standard materials (several of the dresses scream 1970's polyester and there is no leather in the collection, even for sleeves). To anyone familiar with the brand, that is a huge turn-off, and to anyone being introduced to the brand, it creates a poor first impression.

catgirl

Veteran

I've found that the initial stampede at my Target is people intending to resell this stuff on Ebay - they have caught on to the craze of it all and are cashing in. Not worth it for me to tussle over.

Echo

Veteran

^ Policy this time around states that items must be returned within 14 days (either of purchase or shipment if it was an online order). I imagine Target is getting fed up with resellers, too.

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I haven't gotten to Target to check out the collection, but it looks like I don't have to feel too bad about that! It sounds like it's a huge disappointment. I suppose the eBay reselling will still go over well, because it's a lot harder to see how cheap an item is if you just have a picture on a computer screen and can't actually touch the item.

Angie_T

Lisa, I wasn't trying to be contentious either by any means. I am just fascinated by the business behind fashion and you seem to have an astute business mind.

I was a little put off by that last statement in the piece that mentioned appealing to a more mature consumer. I don't know....it just seems somewhat offensive in some odd way. I like a lot of things in Target's key lines and I AM a more mature consumer!

The other thing that is interesting to me about these collaborations is the brand image and marketing side of it. One of my clients is a major big box discount retailer (I don't work in apparel category, of course). I have another client who is a vendor to the retailer and the volume of sales the retailer generates is like the holy grail to them. Then I have a third client who won't remotely consider having their product sold at this particular discount retailer because they feel it would tarnish their brand image. They want to be considered a premium product and no amount of potential sales volume changes their stance on that. I've tried to talk them into doing a single sku, special limited edition type product and that dog just won't hunt for them. I respect their stance, but the distribution of these big retailers can bring a brand to the attention of a huge number of consumers who may not ever consider them otherwise.

But how many Target customers will ever purchase a piece of designer clothing from Joseph Altuzarra?

I also read in another article that, as Anna pointed out, Altuzarra will gain half a million to a million dollars in financial support from this collaboration. That number seems low to me. Not sure if that was a licensing fee or if it's a projection of a percent of sales.

http://www.telegram.com/articl.....ate=MOBILE

(As an aside I think most of the stories I came across in the launch lead up were heavily influenced by the PR teams of Target and/or the designer. There were lots of superlatives being used...."best ever"...."most impressive"...."most sophisticated"....etc)

At any rate, the merchandising of this launch is still disappointing to me! There is one piece in the collection that is a faux fur and while I was browsing the line, I saw three women go crazy over it. I think it's because it wasn't wrinkly!

http://www.target.com/p/altuza.....A-15894402

Angie_T

AG - I hadn't thought of the ebay angle. Makes sense since it's a limited edition run.

This also makes me realize that merchandising is SO important to me! I know a huge retailer like Target can't steam the clothes before they are out on the floor. But something about a name like Altuzarra being crammed in to every square inch of a rack just doesn't send the right message. And if you are protecting your brand as closely as some of the press indicates I would think you would want your story told in a visually appealing way.

Now I'll get off my own high horse!

Anonymous

Angie T - I agree with you - and it sounds like we both could carry on for hours on this topic

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I was at a Target yesterday and saw the crane sweater, which I fell hard for. I love cranes, and I used to watch them when I lived on Okinawa. There is something so endearingly awkward and ungainly when they take off and land, but in flight, they are so lovely.

So I love this sweater, Not because of the name on the tag, but because I adore the motif. I also liked the shade of black and the weight of the fabric. They only had XL, so I did an in-store pick-up request for a store close to me. I pick it up tomorrow.

I figure if I have any remorse, I will bring it back, or list on eBay for what I paid.

I am very careful with my laundering, but if the sweater doesn't last for years, I will remove those beautiful cranes and sew them onto something else.

The pieces the store still had were "meh". The black brocade skirt had a beautiful embossed pattern, but I get the distinct impression it will do what my last pretty Target skirt did: shrink enough that the lining hangs out - despite following laundering instructions.

The granny booties were not worth the price in my opinion. . Not when I can buy a genuine designer, genuine leather boot or bootie on eBay for the same price

MsMary

Veteran

I was at Target over the weekend and tried on a few things. I liked the floral sweatshirt, but it just didn't fit me properly. And I liked the reptile tee, but not enough to break my two-and-a-half-month shopping fast. So I'm sitting this one out.

rabbit

Veteran

When I checked it out, I kind of liked the orchid shirt, but wanted a crisper print. I did like the crane sweater, although I didn't try it on, it felt really nice in the hand.

Elly

Veteran

La Belle -- your post made me smile as my 2 homes are either summering places for cranes or the major congregation points of the migration south. The town my grandmother lived in when I was a child hosted a major crane festival, as did the town I went to college in. When I was working in AZ I also had the chance to witness hundreds of cranes on the lakes and rivers. I have fond memories of my grandmother (who passed in 2012 and shared my birthday week) at the festival and have ceramic hand-painted oriental style crane ornaments from her.

sparlingo

(website)

Interesting conversation on this - haven't check my local Targets for these pieces, but I'm trying to avoid Target as it seems to manage to practically open my wallet and take my money out for me.

The conversation here though led me to look up the collection online, and a few pieces, like this black floral maxi, definitely caught my eye. The problem from the reviews seems to be a) cheap material (sounds like a lot of 100% polyester) and b) poor fit in the chest/shoulder/arms (tight with no give).

That said, I REALLY want this sweater. I also love the idea of this mixed-material jacket, but would probably want a better quality make.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Amazingly, I haven't seen this collab yet - I say amazingly because I am usually in Target at least twice a week. I have found, with past Target collabs as well as with most of the ones that Kohls has done, that the fabrication is generally awful, much worse than the usual level of quality of Target and Kohls items, which is often quite good for the price point. I don't know if that's because more of the money is going to the designer and the cost of material has to be reduced, or if they're made in a different factory than the regular lines, or what. But it's very disappointing and makes me less likely to buy from these arrangements, rather than more.

It just seems weird, in this day and age, to approach it this way. If someone wants a fast fashion statement, most of us can go to H&M or in a pinch Forever 21 for something trendy and cheap. Why shoot yourself in the foot by having even worse quality than the cheapest chains out there?

sparlingo

(website)

This also led me to check out pieces from his regular collections, and woah - I could get used to some "real" Altuzarra.