Fab Find: Mossimo Ultra Soft Cowl Neck Sweater

Fans of Mossimo's Ultra Soft line (at Target) will be happy to know that the same cowl neck style from last year is back this season.  Made from the same super-soft rayon/nylon blend as the other Ultra Soft sweaters, this one has a bit more pizazz with the button-cuff accents.  I've already ordered one in Moroccan Blue (shown here) and I'll probably order more in basic black and one of the 6 other available colors. One note: this sweater does tend to run small, so be sure to size up accordingly.

Minnetonka sues Target for ripping off their design...

According to the HuffingtonPost, Minnetonka Moccasins is suing Target for knocking off its signature shoes.

Last week, the Minneapolis-based company - whose earthy moccasins have been spotted on celebrities like Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan - sued Target for trademark infringement. In court filings, Minnetonka claimed Target copied its iconic "Thunderbird" design, a small, beaded bird on the shoe's toe. Minnetonka has been using the "Thunderbird" on its products for 40 years, the company said.  Shown at left is Target’s version next to Minnetonka’s (photo from actual court documents).

But according to the lawsuit, just months before Target came out with its moccasin earlier this year, the discount chain approached Minnetonka with a business proposal: selling Minnetonka moccasins in Target stores. Target, which is also based in Minneapolis, "made multiple proposals ... offering 'prime real estate on the floor' of Target stores for the moccasins made by Minnetonka," the shoe company wrote in its initial complaint.

It's not clear exactly why Minnetonka rejected Target's proposal or what kind of collaboration (if any) Target wished to initiate. Minnetonka did not respond to requests for comment. In an email, a Target spokeswoman said that the company did not comment on pending litigation. And as of last Friday, the moccasins were no longer for sale on Target.com.

Target's new ad campaign: Falling for You

Target has found a new way to mix commercials and cinema for a brand new kind shopping experience. The Bullseye has enlisted Hollywood heavyweights like “Mad Men” director Phil Abraham and actors Kristen Bell (shown here) Zachary Abel and Nia Long  for a short film in 3 parts that will debut on Target.com starting Oct. 2.

Titled “Falling for You,” the short film is a romantic comedy highlighting fall fashion, beauty and home products  from Target.  In fact, almost everything shown in the film is available at Target.com, and viewers can - for the first time ever - shop for the products seen in each episode without interrupting the film.

A Bullseye View went behind the scenes on set of “Falling for You” for a sneak peek, which you can watch here on YouTube.

Target plans to sidestep holiday price wars...

Don't expect crazy markdown sales at Target when you shop for gifts this holiday season.  According to Business Insider, the Bullseye will opt out of the price wars during the biggest shopping season of the year. And if that means it loses sales to rival chains, that's OK by Target.

"We're not interested in driving sales for the sake of sales, so you might see us lag competitors in terms of comp-store sales increases," said John Mulligan, executive vice president and CFO of Target, during Goldman Sachs' Global Retailing Conference last week. Instead, Target is playing up the first half of its "expect more, pay less," slogan this holiday season, most notably with their upcoming CFDA designer-collab with Neiman Marcus.  "The Neiman Marcus partnership brings something that's about fashion and differentiation, which is how we compete in the marketplace, and not focus so much on the lowest price of a 44-inch television."

Double-Take: Target vs. Room and Board

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from the Bullseye and match it up against a lookalike - and much pricer - designer piece. Now one of these stylish side chairs is from Room and Board, and will set you back $999 clams.  Called the "Audrey" chair, Room and Board describes this "vintage-inspired chair" as featuring "graceful contours that highlight a subtle, almost armless design". And the other one - called the "Retro Flair Arm Chair" - is from Target and only costs half as much (at $499).  Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section below.

Sneak Peek: Nate Berkus for Target

A Bullseye View has posted a video sneak-peek of the upcoming Nate Berkus for Target collection. Watch as Nate and design blogger Nicole Gibbons of So Haute explore New York City and talk about what inspires them, design-wise. Nate also stops by Nicole's Harlem apartment to see what she picked from the line to incorporate in her space:

 

Sale Alert: Orla Kiely for Method Gel Hand Wash

Attention Orla Kiely (and Method) fans! The limited-edition Orla Kiely-designed Method Gel Hand Wash bottles are on sale this week for $2.69 (regularly $2.99).  Scents include Bay Leaf, Vanilla Chai and Primrose; I've personally tried the Bay Leaf and I'm not crazy about it (although I do love Orla's green leaf-pattern design on it).  This sale is only through Sept. 22, and seems to only apply to the Gel Hand Wash (not the Foam Hand Wash, which comes in a slightly taller, triangle-shaped bottle).

Correction: I was at Target today and the Foam Hand Wash is also part of this sale - yay!

New at Target: Timeless Home Decor Collection

It's hard to keep up with the Home Decor department at Target these days.  They seem to be cycling through collections rapidly to make way for the new offerings from Threshold, as well as the eventual Nate Berkus line (to debut Oct. 21st). 

Right now in stores they have an array of classic staples in neutral colors—black, white, beige and gold—that Target's design team is dubbing their "Timeless" collection.  These offerings will "create a neutral yet glam space—not too formal but just regal enough", with "crisp white ottomans, black vases and objects de art, gold side tables, plush pillows, and honeycomb lamps with black-and-white canvas shades".  I've seen the low white velvet ottoman shown here, and it looks much more luxe and expensive in person (I think it retails for about $65).  I wish I had a place for it in my home, but alas, I don't.  And the wire side table is lovely as well, and again looks more substantial than its pricetag of just under $70.

Double-Take: Dolce Vita vs. Merona

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Tar-shay and pair it up against a lookalike - and pricier - piece from a brand-name designer.  This time we have two almost identical mint green suede loafers with tan trim.  The only difference is that one of these is the "Damala" by Dolce Vita, and will run you $75/pair on Shoes.com, whereas the other is the "Mali" by Merona (at Target) and will only cost you $19.99/pair.  Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section below.

Do you remember what happened a year ago?

Readers, do you know what tomorrow is?  Tommorow - Sept. 13th - will mark the one year anniversary of last year's "Missoni Madness".  Do you remember where you were a year ago?  Did you get caught up in the frenzy caused by the Bullseye over items from the Italian fashion house that we later discovered wasn't really even designed by them? OK, so they "oversaw design", whatever that means.  But most of the items were made in China, and I think we can all agree that all the hype, the store sellouts, and eBay inflations weren't worth it.

There are a few Missoni items that are prominently displayed in my house and that I use every day.  Like this vase (shown) and my etched wine glasses (still readily available on eBay, if anyone is interested). Out of the clothing, all I kept was a couple of the cardigans, which I have to admit I've rarely worn. In retrospect, all the fanfare seems rather silly, doesn't it?

My review of The Shops at Target...

Yesterday I didn’t make it over to Target until late in the day… which didn’t really seem to make a difference in viewing the latest collections from The Shops at Target, as most everything was still fully stocked.  The one exception was The Curiosity Shoppe section;  the question-mark plates I mentioned yesterday were sold out, as were several other items.  And I happened to grab the very last tea-towel set (which I’ll stash away for a future hostess or holiday gift).

I did buy an Odin plaid flannel shirt for the hubby from a very full men’s rack.  IMO, this line looks better in person than pictured online. I may go back and nab him a sweater or jacket at some point once they go on sale. 

All the items from Patch NYC seemed very “woodsy owl” to me, so I passed.  It’d be great if you’re outfitting a lake cabin or ski chalet, although the bedding and home furnishings are all done in dark earthtones which are a bit severe for my tastes.  I did see a big burly guy in the checkout line buying this whimsical pillow (shown) which made me chuckle.

And finally, there was the much hyped Kirna Zabete line… which for the most part looked cheap in person.  The polyester blouses we’ve all seen before in other patterns and colors (hello, Jason Wu!) and the the lace t-shirts are flimsy and look like they won’t last through one washing. The tweed jumper with faux leather trim looked decent, although on the rack it seemed a bit boxy. The one bright spot are the jacquard dresses; not my personal style, but if you have the body for it, they look pretty.  Besides basic black, this dress also comes in burgundy, which is hyped to be the “it” color for Fall. And don’t even get me started on the accessories…. the bags and totes look garish, and the jewelry looks like Christmas tinsel.

Target's Shops, part deux: are you buying it?

Today marks the introduction of Target's second installment of  "The Shops" concept, with offerings from Patch NYC, Odin, The Curiosity Shoppe, and Kirna Zabete.  I just perused the collections online, and honestly, there's no "must haves" I could find, so I'll be waiting until later today to check out the goods in person at my local Target. The only item I noticed already sold out online was the set of 4 question-mark plates from The Curiosity Shoppe... which I find funny, because they're cute and all, but not THAT cute.

What about you, dear readers?  Have you checked out the new collections from The Shops yet, and if so, what are you buying?

Merona BOGO: Bags & Shoes

Target is having a BOGO event this week on all women's Merona brand bags and shoes.  Buy one pair of shoes (or bag), and get the second for 50% off.  This offer is good through Sept. 15th at all Target stores and on Target.com.  This may just inspire me to buy a couple more pairs in different colors of the Merona "Melinda" suede wedge I blogged about in a recent double-take.  I already have them in Teal, and I have to say that for inexpensive shoes, they're surprisingly comfortable on my fussy feet.

Double-Take: Target vs. Safavieh

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from the Bullseye and match it up against a lookalike designer piece.  This time we have two virtually identical ribbon end tables; in fact, they may indeed be by the same manufacturer, as both have the style name "Braydon".  The only difference is that one of these mod tables is offered by Safavieh Home Furnishings for $595, whereas the other is at Target for a much more wallet-friendly $269.99.  Which one is which?  The answer appears in the comments section.

Cherokee Acquires Liz Lange Maternity

Businesswire is reporting that Cherokee Inc. has acquired Liz Lange Maternity, previously sold exclusively at Target. 

Liz Lange, Founder and Creative Director of Liz Lange Maternity®, commented, “We are thrilled to become a part of the Cherokee family and work directly with the Cherokee Group management team to expand the reach of our brand to expecting moms around the world.”

Reading in between the lines, I assume this deal allows Liz Lange Maternity to expand to other markets.  I thought that the Cherokee brand was limited to Target, but it turns out the company has also license agreements with Tesco (in the U.K., Ireland and certain Central European countries), Zellers (in Canada), and RT-Mart (in China) among other retailers worldwide.

Stupidest product I've ever seen at Target...

Yesterday I spotted something at Target that has to be the stupidest and most useless product ever created.  To be fair, I'm sure that other retailers other than the Bullseye carry this, as I spied it in their "As Seen On TV" section.  But if they sell any of these things, I'll be surprised.

This "thing" I speak of is called Trendy Top, dubbed as "The Ultimate Layering Accessory!".  But the name is misleading, because it's not actually a top at all. What it is, dear readers, is a band of fabric that goes around your belly to cover any potentially exposed skin (aka "muffin top", or "flesh belt", as my hubby would call it) if your top is too short.  Which can totally be avoided if you just wear a tank top or cami under your regular top... so I can only surmise that the "Trendy Top" is aimed at people too damn lazy to wear a tank or cami. Sorry, but I just can't fathom the need for this product!

New at Target: Campbell's Andy Warhol Soup Cans

50 years ago, Andy Warhol launched his art career with an exhibition featuring his iconic Campbell’s Soup Cans canvases. Legend has it that he ate Campbell's Tomato Soup every day for lunch for 20 years; hence the inspriation for that artwork.  Now the canning giant is commemorating Warhol’s work — and trying to revitalize its own brand — by releasing special edition cans of condensed tomato soup that sport colorful, Warhol-print-inspired labels.

This is actually the company’s third flirtation with pop art.  Back in 2004, similar Warhol-inspired cans were sold in small quantities at Pittsburgh-based supermarket Giant Eagle (Wharhol grew up in the Steel City) and then again in 2006 at New York City department store Barney’s.

The new limited-edition cans are undeniably eye-catching. Their bright color scheme and stylized Warhol quotes (“In the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” etc.) should help them stand out on the shelves at Target, where they’ll be sold exclusively starting today.