Designer Collaborations: Two Sides of the Coin

Victoria Beckham for Target shirtdress // Vintage Levi’s // Amelie Pichard mules (under $25 version here)

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I’m a big fan of designer collaborations.  For me, it dates all the way back to January 2006 when Target introduced a collection by Luella Bartley.  At the time, I was still building my wardrobe and on a limited budget, so collaborations were a godsend.  While H&M, J. Crew and countless others have followed suit, I am still fiercely devoted to Target’s lines.  When they announced that Victoria Beckham was next on the list, I eagerly marked my calendar for the release.

I ended up purchasing this flowy striped shirtdress (on sale for less than $25!) plus three other pieces.  Rather that styling it the traditional way – buttoned up as a dress – I opted for some beat up vintage Levi’s and quirky patent orange mules I’d had my eye on since last year.  The effect is a tad 70’s and I love it.

I go through a bit of a ritual with designer collabs.  First, I obsessively stalk all media releases so I can bookmark the pieces I want to acquire.  Next, I call my mom.  Being in different states, we map out a plan.  Since she is two time zones ahead of me, she gets the early jump on our list and I fill in whatever she wasn’t able to get.  Since different stores carry different items, this has really allowed us to cover all bases.  Plus, our gab sessions over our hauls at the end are so much fun.

There is a unique camaraderie that surrounds waiting in line for designers collabs.  I’ll never forget queuing up for Phillip Lim x Target.  I made friends with the ladies around me and was able to score this Alexander Wang handbag off one of them for an insane deal.  Cecelia and I promptly ended a joint event at Vocabulary to rush over for the Lily Pulitzer launch.  She walked away with palm tree print lounge pants and I scored a gold and ivory serving platter.

During Isabel Marant x H&M, me and my linemate had a 5am gab session of every collab they had done since inception.  She had collected something from each one, with the photos to prove it (my favorites where her Margiela pieces).

There is, of course, another side to this coin.  During the height of these crazed frenzies (think Missoni for Target and Balmain for H&M) the question of whether or not the designers are doing those who own original pieces a disservice by creating a low end replica always comes up.  Personally, while I will always support designer collabs, I can see both sides.  The undercurrent of fashion has always been about one thing: exclusivity.  How would you feel if you had the money to buy Balmain jackets on the regular, and suddenly they become available to the masses?  Granted, the fabric quality and construction of an original versus a replica is unparalleled, but you get the gist.

I still revel in the fact that I was (I think) the first person to be photographed in this top.  It was fun knowing I was one of few who owned it and saw its potential from the get-go (Beyonce even went on to wear it!).  While it was never a part of a designer collaboration, it followed the same model by inspiring over a dozen copycats and appearing on the Instagram feeds of thousands of other fashion bloggers.  I think it’s great that so many people love the top as much as I do.  I also take pride in what The Social Network emphasized: getting there first is everything.

Finally, there is the question of how often you’ll actually wear these pieces.  Though few and far between, I for one, am definitely guilty of buying something just for the sake of being able to say I have a piece of so-and-so’s limited edition collection.  Hello, Rodarte x Target dress I have never worn.

What do you think about designer collaborations?  How often do you wear your pieces?