savvy shopper

Proenza Schouler for Target

Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler are coming to Target.

They’ll design a capsule for Target’s GO International campaign, which currently features Behnaz Sarafpour and previously wowed bargain shoppers with British designer Luella Bartley’s fantastic collection.

Word has it that the line won’t be available until February 2007, but every fashionista I know is drooling over the recently scooped photos. (Above) Personally, their line isn’t for me, but that’s okay. I might find a piece or two that I like, it just depends.  The trapeze jacket is my favorite piece so far.

Don’t know about Proenza Schouler? Keep reading…

Famed for their fabulous cut and construction, loved for their fashion savvy-style, young Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler (a combination of their mother’s maiden names, the second of which is pronounced “Skooler") are the epitome of New York cool. The talented duo met in 1998 and almost immediately took the fashion world by storm. By 2002, their expertly tailored collections were being honored at the 40th annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards as the “Future of Fashion.” With their intricate construction and cutting-edge design, these pieces are certain to be classics for years to come.

Rafe New York by Rafe Totengco for Target

Rafe Totengco has made every budget fashionista’s dream come true. He has designed a stylish, yet affordable line for Target.  The Rafe for Target line is priced to sell between $19.99-$49.99
whereas his regular line retails between $200-$600. Big difference!

The Rafe (pronounced “RAH-fee") handbag line at Target is available for a limited time and is selling out fast! Get one while you can. 

Rafe has a blog, here’s an excerpt from his post on his new line for Target:

Can I tell you… about Rafe For Target? Seems my limited edition collaboration with the mass retailer has made a lot of news, and I just wanted to chime in about it.

Doing this limited, capsule collection wasn’t a quick decision on my part, but I have to say that the current climate of high end designers doing similar lines for mass retailers definitely helped me decide to do it. Karl Lagerfeld for H&M comes to mind first, but so many highly respected names have done it as well: Victor & Rolf and Stella McCartney have done it for H&M too, and Uniqlo is coming up with a few formidable designers for its upcoming season. Even in the Target stable, we have Paul & Joe, Behnaz Sarafpour, Luella Bartley, Tara Jarmon, Isaac Mizrahi, Thomas O’brien, and Tord Boontje, a prestigious group I am proud to be part of. - Rafe Totengco (Can I tell You...)

Not all reviews of the bags are glowing… The Budget Fashionista says the bags are not the best quality and $40 bucks is a bit much to spend for a pleather handbag of questionable quality. and The Fashionist says they look cheap and dated.

We’ll let you be the judge. Find Rafe at a Target near you or check them out online