The news that the venerable Italian family knitwear company, Missoni, was debuting at Target in September had fashionistas the world over on their toes.
Print ads in upscale magazines, such as Vogue and Elle -- not to mention a constant barrage of photos of the promised "manna from heaven" in The New York Times -- only heightened the frenzy. All sorts of goods were touted -- even bicycles.
The Missoni clan is known for their very inventive use of stripes and colors. The knitwear is very expensive and is only sold in tony shops.
On "D-Day," I arrived at Target at the stroke of 8 a.m. Everything was calm. There were about five or six shoppers poking around a rather measly selection of the revered duds. In a matter of minutes, though, those in the know had swooped into the store and snatched up all that was in sight. I took two trophies home, but they turned out to be too big for anyone.
Meanwhile, in New York City chaos had broken out, and ladies were fighting over anything that Missoni had produced. Within a day, everything with those fabulous Italian stripes was gone from every Target store in America. And the next day, 31,000 pieces of Missoni were put on eBay at ridiculous prices. The party was over.
According to the puzzled sales clerk at our Bluffton Target, Missoni won't be shipping anything else because they have nothing left in backstock and were overwhelmed by the response.
Now to Macy's. Karl Lagerfeld, another fashion icon, has designed a collection for the everyday woman that will only be around until October. I inquired about this at the Macy's in Savannah, and no one knew who I was talking about.
Once again, lots of high-priced ads have been in magazines and newspapers touting the collection. Perhaps it is about time someone somewhere realizes we are not a clutch of dodos who have no idea what is going on in the world of fashion but are the very ones their ads are aimed at.
I have put together my own Missoni Baalonni outfit and have received rave reviews. The stripes may be a bit off, but when I pin on my fake Chanel flower, I feel like a jillion bucks!
