I’m sure you’ve already heard, but if not, it was announced last week that Mulberry will be the next handbag designer to produce a line for Target; the collaboration will be available at most Target stores and at Target.com October 10 through December 24, 2010. So far, I’ve seen only overwhelmingly positive buzz and excitement, but I’m just disappointed.
I’m disappointed that any designer would even consider reproducing their most popular designs using inferior materials (cough, cough…Cynthia Vincent) – creating in essence, disposable fashion from something that was originally designed to be in-disposable.
(I’m REALLY really, really, not a fan of knock-offs, copies, or “inspired bys,” especially when a designer does it him- or herself in the name of making the designs more “accessible.” sure, if you want to call me one, go ahead –> SNOB)
So, I’m hoping that in this case, Mulberry will come up with some interesting designs unique to Target, but I’m afraid they’ll just end up knocking off the Bayswater or Alexa bag in cheaper materials and hardware and call it a day. And that would be a very sad day indeed.
But, I always have hope…I’m still interested to see what Mulberry comes up with. According to them:
The range comprises 8 handbag styles and aims to evoke the spirit of the brand, rather than a compromise on quality. The key to the collection is authenticity – communicating the essence and character of the Mulberry brand. Fabrics such as denim and velvet allow the brand to be as true to its beliefs as possible whilst maintaining an accessible and democratic price point
We’ll see…
What do you think?
Grechen, I couldn’t agree with you more..it cheapens the brand on so many levels.
Ugh, this hurts my heart! I too have been called a snob (especially about bags) but I just don’t think you can substitute the quality and craftsmanship of a classic bag. I’m totally bummed to hear that Mulberry is doing this. Their Alexa bag is poised to be the next Birkin, and they are just going to hurt themselves by knocking it off. I hope they decided to go in a different direction. Thanks for the post!
.-= Cathy Benavides´s last blog ..Manly Man Monday- Matt C. =-.
You’re absolutely right. Making the brand more accessible by using cheaper materials alienates loyal customers who value product quality and longevity.
I respect the opinions expressed here but I feel like I have to speak for the shoppers who may never have heard of, say, Cynthia Vincent (or Rodarte or Mulberry, etc.) before but found out about her on a trip to Target. Such a shopper may have otherwise settled for some less-than-inspired pair of shoes but now can afford a bit of nice design AND knows that there is a person named Cynthia Vincent out there making really beautiful stuff and selling it to all kinds of people – not just those with deep pockets. If you feel that collaborations like this cheapen the pieces you already have (and are lucky enough to be able to afford), then buy from designers who aren’t interested in sharing their talents with everyone.
i love that these designers want to share their talents with “everyone” as you put it, and hope that they do design UNIQUE pieces to be sold via Target – NOT merely copy their own already successful designs (I believe i stated that in the post). my issue with most of the designer collabs so far are with designers who choose to knock themselves off rather than use their creativity and come up with new designs. to me, and to others, that is selling-out, not “sharing their talents.”
i can’t ignore your comments about “deep pockets” or people who are “lucky enough to be able to afford” though – the people i know who purchase luxury designer items aren’t “lucky” nor do they have deep pockets. they work hard for their money and appreciate having nice things they have earned – i resent the implication that people who can afford or maybe can’t, but have saved for years to buy, designer items just have money to burn or that they’re just “lucky.” lottery winners are lucky, people who work hard and earn money to buy nice things aren’t lucky.
I understand your point about designers being self-derivative – very valid and I appreciate that I did not address that specifically. I still think it’s cool when Target (or H&M, Uniqlo, whoever) reaches out and spreads some good design around to consumers who are faced with no shortage of soul-less, uninspired goods. Wouldn’t hurt if architects, furniture designers and other disciplines making great work (that is often out of reach for many) followed suit.
On your second point – wow. Did not mean to irk you so. I’m sorry if my characterization of people who have the money to spend on high-end clothing and accessories offended you. When I can afford these things – which I occasionally can after I “work hard and earn money” – I happen to consider myself very lucky that spending on these kinds of things is an option for me.
thanks for responding…and i apologize for my “harsh” response to yours on the second point. i was tired after driving w/two kids for 8 hours 😉
Ouch – hear that!
PS (And, of course, I should have said this first off) – Thanks for the great blog – I’m a more-than-once-daily peeker!
thanks so much 🙂 i’m really glad you left your comment – i always welcome a good debate! i’ll admit that i’m definitely overly sensitive to the language that seems to label people who do spend money on clothes/shoes/accessories as not having earned it or worked for it…bugs me. but i do understand your point and don’t think you meant it the way some people do. i just associate “luck” with other things, not money that i earn and choose to spend on things i like…
I was going to write a really super long comment defending both perspectives here (I carried my wallet and phone in my coat pockets all winter because I couldn’t afford any of the bags I liked) but I think Jenna Lyons of JCrew fame says it better than I ever could…
“What I appreciate about it is someone like Rodarte or Proenza Schouler maybe gets more mindshare from people who might not have known who they are. But I think it’s a little flash-in-the-pan, and the quality, a lot of times, is really not great. That, to me, is for the young little fashion girl who’s obsessed with Proenza and Rodarte and who can’t afford it. For someone who just wants to look good on a day-to-day basis, it’s not a strategy for how to dress.”
I have both, designer bags and not so expensive bags. 🙂 I think it’s fun to have bags that you aren’t so worried about injuring, and then have bags that are more like babies that you are more careful with. I have an alexa and am not offended by the knockoffs.