High End to High Street
Current or past, designer collaborations are raising the fashion stakes and making an increasing impact on the Australian and international markets. But are they something to love or loathe?
Designer goods are highly sought after for their product quality, exclusivity, uniqueness, emotional attachment and sentiment. You buy designer clothes not only for the beauty of the product, but because of the feeling that it gives you.
Take a classic Chanel Flap Bag for example, the $4000 plus price tag is there for a reason. You are buying not only a beautiful accessory that will last you a lifetime and be admired by others, but also a piece of the Chanel brand. It is that feeling that makes designer products so aspirational and envied.
High end to high street collaborations may do a wealth of wonder for the fast fashion brand, but aside from the obvious monetary gain for the high-end designer, we are not so convinced of their benefits.
Fast fashion is fast for a reason; it is disposable – in one day, out the next as Heidi Klum might say. Designer fashion is more than just fashion, it is designed to be admired, treasured, and treated like a piece of art. Designer collaborations with high street brands take away from this sensation. Although the products may appear to be plucked straight from New York Fashion Week, unfortunately they are far from it.
woman with drive ventured to Target to take a look at the highly anticipated Missoni for Target collection that launched in Australia in October. The launch day achieved international recognition with hoards of hungry shoppers waiting to catch a glimpse of the collection and swipe their credit cards. But just a few days later, the Missoni for Target section in the store is deserted and still covered with stock, making us question its actual success.
The first thing we notice is the signature Missoni stripe has now in fact become more of a swirl. We were a little disappointed that the iconic stripe had been modified. Next, and probably the most obvious point, the quality seems to be missing. The products are no longer made in Italy, no surprises there, but we worry about the lifespan of the range after use. We even notice the swirl print on the ceramic bowls is uneven and missing in sections. Unfortunately, the range fails to live up a woman with drive’s high standards.
Australia will no doubt continue its trend of designer collaborations, with a collection from sports-luxe royalty, Alexander Wang already heading this way. The young fashion connoisseur is collaborating with Swedish high street brand H&M, and his collection will arrive in stores in November.
While for some, the chance to purchase Missoni, Isabel Marant, Versace or Alexander Wang at an affordable price tag may be a dream come true, for us, we fail to be dazzled by the discounted dollars.
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