Stella at Target & Moi

I went, I saw, but I did not conquer.... 

Target @ Broadway... what queues?

 

 The morning of  29th October 2010 at 8:35am I was waiting outside the Target store at Broadway and was astounded that I actually was 1 of the only 20 people there. Stylish fashionistas there weren't... Where were the queues of fiesty women from 2007?

As the Target doors opened at 9am, the now 30 people ran in to get whatever Stella they could get their hands on... Shopping until intense pressure, I managed to pick out my items in less than 3 minutes...the classic double breast suit jacket (that Stella does so well), a black lace dress, a dark fushia tulip dress & a navy tulip coat (which all seemed to look like a much cheaper imitation of her own AW 2010 collection).
 
10 minutes later & AUD700 less richer, I went home feeling content that I actually managed to score some Stella from Target..... (Seriously I reckon it's harder to get your hands on the cheap Stella than the expensive Stella from net-a-porter.com!)

My Stella purchases.... or should I say my Stella returns?

But much to my disppointment,  nothing fitted me too well... definitely not Stella tailoring & proportioning.... being a European size 36 my shoulders were not broad enough, hips were too big & waist was too small for a Australian size 8. Clothes were definitely not Stella quality either... the zips of the dresses were hard to zip up, the material was very ordinary which was a let down yet expected from Target & the finishing stitches was coming off in many of the items I saw.


I visited the Bondi Junction store yesterday and found that there was so much left over... (proof that the collection didn't do too well perhaps??) Apart from the tulip jacket, I returned everything else as per Target's refund policy.... now that's something you can't do when you shop Stella's main collections...


Stella for Target 2010 collection....well apart from the Stella label tag & the hint of Stella design, every element of the collection screamed 'Target'.....They should actually call the collection 'Target for Stella'... Call me a snob but I think I will remain faithful to Stella's main 'made in Italy' line for now, available from net-a-porter.com.


   

The night before Stella for Target is launched....

One more sleep before the release of the Stella McCartney for Target collection launches across Australia. 

It has been 3 years since Stella first collaborated with Target that was reportedly sold out in a record time of 7.5 minutes!!!!

It was in the year 2006 when I first invested in a (made in Italy) Stella McCartney black jacket (from her own collection) because I was simply mesmerized by her ultra sharp tailoring skills and her fabric choices. The first time I wore it, I was ‘Stellarised’…. I had the sleekest silhouette and felt the sense of being powerful yet at the same time being ultra feminine. Since that experience, I have always been a true fan of Stella and her designs have and always will play a part in my wardrobe.

I have to admit though that I don’t quite remember the designs or the fabrics used in the Stella for Target 2007 collection at all but I did remember distinctively these images as a result of the collection:-

1/ all those feisty women fighting in the aisles

2/ the odd slapping match & wrestle because everyone just grabbed whatever they had their hands on regardless if they were a size 8 and the piece of clothing was size 14

3/ the ripping of Stella’s designs off from the display mannequins…. Imagine doing that yourself at Harrods

4/ the massive explosion of Stella for Target anything that was listed on eBay an hour later but for 500% of the RRP.

Which led me to wonder why people were buying her 2007 collection for Target… was it because everyone else was??, that it was a Stella creation??, that it was way cheaper than her own line?? or simply so they could make a quick buck on eBay from this limited edition??

A couple of weeks ago I had a look at her 2010 designs for Target (designersfortarget.com.au/sm) and sussed out a couple of items that I would contemplate on trying – the Tulip shaped trench in white, the black lace dress, the wide leg black trousers looked nice on the catalogue and the model of course…. But I am sceptical and have to admit that somehow cheaper clothing shops hire a certain type of photographers that make their clothes look so damn good in the catalogue that when approached in real life, up close & personal, it looks crap… I know it will be Stella’s designs but it would also be Target’s budget on the choice of material and country of make which can make or break the pieces of a collection…  (FYI, don’t even bother with the accessories, they look awful…)  

I hear in 2007, people were queuing before dawn at the stores….

Due Diligence on a pair of 5 inch Christian Louboutin Pigalles....

Considering investing in a pair of Louboutin Pigalles?  Read on.....

• Details of Investment

Since the 1990s, the trademark of glossy red soles (which was accidentally discovered by the creator painting the back of a pair with red Chanel nail polish) found on a pair of Christian Louboutins has become an iconic fashion item.

 The low cut shape of black patent Pigalles exposes more of the foot and leg to make its owner look sexier, more beautiful and make me (a tiny 5 foot Asian) appear to have long Gisele Bunchen legs.

 

Self made Pigalles in Felt

 

• Financial Cost

I managed to purchase mine online from net-a-porter.com which set me back USD500. Other websites such as brownsfashion.com charge USD600, saksfifthavenue.com cost USD595 and on eBay, you are looking at between USD300 to USD800 (all prices excluding shipping). In Australia, Sydney from DJs you will be expected to pay approx USD1000.

The upkeep fee for any Louboutins will be the cost of maintaining or repairing its soles which varies depending on the shoe repairer. Bear in mind, these are Louboutins so you should take them to a good shoe repairer. In Sydney, I pay USD50 at a shoe repairer at the Strand Arcade. But if you are fortunate enough to be located in Paris, they specify you and your much loved Louboutins should pay a visit to ‘Minuit Moins 7 Cordonneire’. Anyone been there?

• Valuation & Returns of investment

Judging by the number of imitation websites there are for Louboutins ‘wannabes’ and that Kate Moss owns a few, you are definitely investing in a blue chip fashion item. The joys that the Louboutin Pigalles can bring you are endless, you will feel and look hot, sexy and dangerous and loved by all...need I say more? Pigalles definitely provide a 100% return of satisfaction....

• Risk Factors

Walking with 5 inch Pigalles is not the most comfortable & easiest thing unless you are Kate Moss who can glide through the uneven pavement @ McQueen’s funeral or Victoria Beckham who runs her errands in them like they were sneakers…. I found that the 5 inch Pigalle is so high that at times I have lost my balance but to date have never fallen flat on my face. I walk 1.5km between two offices daily and normally it takes me 10 minutes on flats. With my beloved 5 inch Pigalles, it takes 30 - 40 minutes. Also as the Pigalles are quite pointy, it could lead to many later years of bunion suffering.

Note that Pigalles have now diversified into being flats (have you seen the spiky studded ones currently out? Absolutely delicious….. But not sure about not being able to see the red of the sole of flat Louboutins… does that defeat the trademark of Louboutins?) There are also more manageable 3 & 4 inch heel versions in various materials and colours which I highly recommend. I recently bought a pair of 3 inch dark red glittered ones for my brother’s wedding last year and I lasted for more than 8 hours without any pain.

• Overall Rating

Invest right now!!!! What's not to love? Yes it takes longer to walk to & fro places but it's all about mastering the skill to walk in them like a lady.... If Victoria can carry her kids wearing them and Dita can perform her fabulous burlesque routine who's to say you can't? Pigalles will give you many years of high dividend income return that would leave you nothing but satisfied.

Snobbishly Asian.....

My favourite editor Carine Roitfeld famously once said ‘With French women you first see the woman and then you see the clothes. Imagine countries like Russia or China, even Eastern Europe. They don’t have the culture of clothes so they want to show that they can afford to buy a Dolce & Gabbana bag, they want to show labels. In France you cannot see what labels we are wearing. It is very snobby.’

Although being Chinese (born in HK and raised internationally), I have to agree with this a little. On my many holiday trips to HK I see people queuing for hours outside expense designer stores to buy handbags, watches, shoes and jewellery. I, myself have to queue up with them so that I can actually touch and feel and lust over the latest designer creations of my beloved designers that I have seen from the fashion shows via the internet.

I think at a point in time HK use to have the most Mercedes ownership per headcount but seriously I think they should get the most Hermes bags per headcount….. Come on, a Hermes Kelly or Birkin bag would set you back at least USD10,000. Considering the average Honkie earns USD2,000 a month, how is this even possible? Oh sorry, I forgot the fake imitations that is easier accessible from China or that you can buy second hand bags from Milan Station and use for 3 months and then sell back to them for 30% less.

My Honkie hairdresser (who charged USD130 a haircut) once told me he owned about 10 Rolex watches (which I had learnt later they were fake). He told me it gave him a sense of prestige but I think it is so that he can make people think he has made it in the world. My best friend in HK would use her entire salary to buy a LV bag and then survive on nothing for the rest of the month.

If you ever go been to HK you will understand that the society is all based on your place in society, class and how rich you are. You are better treated if you are considered rich and can afford exorbitantly expensive luxury items. As much as I would hate to admit, the majority of Honkies all own a LV bag not because they love it but because they want to fit in with the rest of the society.

This really defeats my love for designer luxuries…. I love an item for its design, for its smell and for its touch and most importantly for the happiness it gives me. I love the workmanship of my 1940s Hermes Kelly and the history it carries, the design of my five inch Christian Louboutin pigalles as it elongates my legs and the exquisite details of any Valentino masterpiece.

Today, I love that I went to work wearing a wafer thin black cashmere Rick Owens top matched with a pair of Stella McCartney well tailored pants and my newly purchased humongously big bowed LV shoes from the ‘God created women’ 2010 Autumn collection because only I would know how good it feels on the inside. So Carine, as much as I love you there are a minority of Chinese people out there that are just as snobby as the French.