More Target

Artist Amy Ruppel outfits Target stores in holiday cheer this season as its Holiday 2007 designer. Ruppel joins fashion and accessories designers Dominique Cohen, Holly Dunlap of Hollywould, and Erin Featherston for GO International as one of the designers who currently have a collection in Target stores.

On the apparel and accessories front, the Dominique Cohen jewelry line impresses. It's easily the best of the limited edition designs now in store. I love the knotted pearls. It seems like the necklaces and bracelets are meant to be layered for full effect. Worn alone, the look is more of a pretty, delicate one. As for Hollywould, the cute-ish bags are much better than the shoes, but a miss overall.

I didn't pay much attention to the new GO International collection by Erin Featherston. Peter pan collars, ruffles, babydoll dresses, and an adorable heart-shaped bag make the Featherston line very young, like its preppy-goth Libertine predecessor. Should Featherston's interpretation of her ultra-girly aesthetic for Target get passed over by customers, she's still got a killer Paris apartment and that stylish, blunt fringe of bangs to fall back on.

The financial benefits of signing a deal with Target are not lost on these designers. A collaboration with Target can put an up-and-comer, like Featherston, who is relatively unknown outside high design on the map with masses. But there are no guarantees. Proenza Schouler designed a line for GO International which did very well, but only a few months later the talented, young designers were looking for financial backers to stay afloat.