Missoni for Target - managing expectations

Have you ever just about given up? Felt defeated? Thought that nothing was going to get better? Ever? 

We’ve all been there.

Well today, SIA saw a sign.  She finally felt the tweak that the universe only gives you what you can handle.  That it may be OK after all.

Let’s go back a few steps.

Tomorrow. Missoni for Target launch in Oz.

Here they are getting ready:

Here too: 

It will all be in one area at the front & centre of each store.

Here is the NSW flyer – notice it’s black & white.  The ink required for the beautiful 7,491 colours that go into a Missoni chevron would have eaten up all the profits.

You see for weeks now, SIA has been stressing that the Missoni for Target launch will create unfulfilled expectations in people.  People will go nuts and trample each other to grab the clothes, shoes, homewares, stationery etc.  More than 200 pieces.  Trolley will be filled (does Oz Target even have trolleys?) with duplicates & triplicates. People will be buying to resell on ebay at five times the price, to our cousins in the US (who actually had their version of Missoni for Target USA fun back in 2011).

Can you picture it? Bedlam.

But the real bedlam starts when you commence to use it and that’s what SIA is feeling defeated about. Like life just isn’t fair.

You see, the following will happen, as sure as night follows day:

1. The clothes are poster kids for a viscose rich environment & so wont wear well.
2. The deck chairs will wobble & then fall apart. While you’re sitting in them.
3. The rich Missoni colours on the melamine cups will scratch off. Yesterday.
4. The strings on the bikinis will be woven so they are too slippery to stay put.
5. The towels will pull
6. The umbrella skeletons will break. When there is no wind or rain. 
7. The backpacks and the totes will wear at the corners
8. The knitted blankets will cause suffocation because they will be acrylic.
9. The knit clothes will make you look lumpy because they are one layer of cheap knit with very few samples being made to perfect them.

All this will happen a lot sooner rather than later.

And it’s understandable because it’s a collaboration with a discount store. 

Please don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Missoni. I have a tailored chevron jacket & two chevron scarves (from before the time chevron became cool) and they are amazing & they have been amazing for many years.

So what’s the sad bit?

But when a designer, no matter how uber, collaborates with a discount store, you still get discount quality merchandise. Which looks cute when you are bashing other women to get your mits on it. Plus the fact that everyone wants it makes it even cuter. Ever noticed that?

But you get what you pay for.

Let me repeat that.

You get what you pay for.

So where’s the tragedy? The life not worth living bit?

People will expect champagne (sorry France, sparkling wine) on the beer prices.

When the sparkling tastes like beer, they will be sad. They will (& do) then become disappointed with the brand. The uber designer brand which makes the best sparkling.

Because, despite the discount store environment, (generally), they expect more than they are getting.

I am not telling you not to buy. I am just saying you get what you pay for.

Mind you, I’ll be there way before 8 am to push a few women aside & prepare for the attack.

So what’s the sign? The universe giving you what you can handle bit?

SIA walked out of a Target store thinking she may need to get some couch time to deal with this problem.

Walking to the car.

Next thing I knew – those familiar colours & patterns jumped out at me. In a good way.

OMG. It was a store selling the real deal.  It's called Galerie. The universe provided it just at the right time to make everything make 100% sense.

Looks what I saw…..

Beautiful cottons.
Look at how the stripes stop, move over a touch,
re-arrange themselves, then start again.
The real deal.

Soft wool throw & matching cushion.
Def not too matchy matchy.
The real deal.

Cushion with self check floral.
Candles. Gorgeous presentation.
Don't laugh, but the candles were $160 each but the jars were art.
And heavy.
Beautiful. The real deal. 

The top girl is an ombre brown velour cushion with sparkle bits all over it.
The read deal.

She has multi coloured fringe
She has primary coloured chevron.
She is a perfect specimen.
The read deal.

A wool throw.
Soft, not scrtachy.
The real deal.

The store is the only one in Sydney. Sure there are other stores selling genuine Missoni product, but seeing the product anywhere is just a treat that you can never get at a discount store.

How did this loot fix things?

Everything made my heart flutter. Just at the right time when I was contemplating that cliff jump.  The timing was perfection.

When your heart flutters, everything is OK. 

Hope is back. With flutter, there is hope. I should have been a shrink. 

As long as there is the good stuff, nothing else matters.

And that’s how the universe is allowing SIA to handle all those people who buy Missoni for Target hoping that they are getting sparkling for a beer price. 

See you at Target but remember, you get what you pay for.

PS: I think it's worth noting that my Roberto Cavalli for Target (Oct 2012) ballet flats (sans any leather) are still going strong, as is the cotton floral kaftan top from the same collection and the 100% poly floaty floral top.  In all honesty I have eased up on the wear of the ballet flats - there is only so far that you can push vinyl.  

Last minute PS: 

WHICH STORES ARE CARRYING THE COMPLETE RANGE

From the SIA Facebook page:

"Geez Target Australia are EGG HEADS.

Re: Missoni for Target 
Which stores are stocking the ENTIRE Missoni collection? 

Someone asked which Victorian stores will stock the COMPLETE RANGE and the administrators just answered by referring them to the stockists flyer (which lists the Victorian stores carrying Missoni). 

So one would ASSUME that ALL the Victorian stores on that flyer are carrying all pieces. Sounds reasonable? 

Then later in the day someone asks which SYDNEY stores are carrying the full range and another asks which PERTH stores are carrying the full range. 

And the administrators proceed to CARVE out, from the flyer list, the Sydney & Perth stores which are carrying the full range.

For Sydney: Miranda, Bondi, Penrith, Warringah Mall & Chatswood

For Perth: Morley, Innaloo, Perth & Joondalup 

So in the other states, if you are expecting the full range, you may not see it when you turn up to the Timbuktoo store. Even though Timbuktoo is on the flyer. 

Ridiculous communication skils & lack of clarity. 

If I didn't know better, I may even suggest that they tried to keep the full stockists deliberately quiet.

Of course, the on line store is carrying everything - but some of us want the FULL bricks experience.