By Rina Raphael
Target on Tuesday unveiled their much-anticipated collaboration with Italian luxury knitwear design house Missoni, adored by multiple generations of women. It was a day marked on many a fashionista’s calendar, but those who had hoped to leap out of bed and purchase the brand’s iconic zigzag items had their hopes crushed: As of 9 a.m. ET that day – just three hours after the sale went live — Target.com was already down. (Behold the power of online shoppers!).
But soon enough, Target delivered some good news.
On TODAY Wednesday morning, a Target spokeswoman revealed that the Missoni goods will "continue to trickle in to stores," suggesting shoppers check in "early and often."
That's good news for fans, who by early Tuesday were already bemoaning the website’s fate on Twitter. “Bummed,” “WTF” and “pissed” are some of the emotions frustrated shoppers tweeted. In-store shoppers also reported on the craziness they witnessed. “Ladies have their carts piled to the high heavens with Missoni stuff,” tweeted @fluffmc. “Colleague called me from a Target in Georgia. She spent $800 on Missoni goods this morning,” tweeted @Smallchic.
If you’re desperate for a Missoni fix and don't want to wait for stores to stock up again, you can head to eBay, where folks are already reselling over 23,000 items at hiked-up prices. It’s all there — luggage, shoes, dresses, candles, and more. Even sweet baby rompers weren’t spared the greed!
While most of Target’s collaborations with designers feature only modest selections, the Missoni collection boasted over 400 items — everything from headbands to outdoor furniture. But even that isn’t enough to tame American consumers. The frenzy over the beloved line has been tremendous, and Target wasn’t exactly prepared.
When Target opened a massive Missoni pop-up store in New York City last Thursday, it was picked clean by crowds in just a few hours, prompting the retailer to close it down as quickly as it appeared. “Thanks, New York!” the sign read. “Due to your overwhelming response, we are sold out. Please visit your local Target Target.com Sept. 13.”
More: High fashion at low prices - coming to a mall (or website) near you