An unlikely alliance between premium retailer Neiman Marcus and discounter Target Corp. is expected to yield unique limited-edition designer gifts for the holiday season.
The retailers have decided to team up because they’ve discovered their shoppers overlap.
“Target and Neiman Marcus are known for charting new terrain, and by joining forces for the holiday season, we’ve set the stage for a redefining moment in retail,” said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO of Target. “This collaboration is unlike anything Target has done before, and we are confident our guests will be thrilled with this extraordinary collection that features some of America’s most pre-eminent designers.”
Both retailers will sell a limited collection of merchandise created by two dozen designers – that include Oscar de la Renta, Judith Leiber, Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera and Diane von Furstenberg – available beginning Dec. 1. The collaboration will produce a collection of more than 50 items in men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories. Also featured will be home decor, pet accessories and accessories for electronics and sporting goods products.
Each designer will have one to three items priced from $7.99 to $499.99, priced the same at both retail outlets; however, most gift items will cost less than $60. The merchandise will be sold in one shop inside 42 Neiman Marcus stores and 1,763 Target stores, and online.
Other designers include Alice + Olivia, Jason Wu, Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Rag & Bone, Band of Outsiders, Lela Rose, Robert Rodriguez, Brian Atwood, Marchesa, Rodarte, Marc Jacobs, Skaist-Taylor, Derek Lam, Thom Browne, Philip Crangi, Eddie Borgo, Prabal Gurung and Tracy Reese.
The partnership is “about the unexpected,” Wanda Gierhart, chief marketing officer of Dallas-based Neiman Marcus, told the Dallas Morning News. Target’s designer collaborations “are renowned for surprising and delighting – the merging of our brands takes the concept one step further. A collaboration of this scale and complexity is a first for our industry.”
Target and Neiman Marcus are donating $1 million to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) as part of the collaboration.
