Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the Anna Wintour-approved wonder boys behind Proenza Schouler, are headed to a Target near you.
But it might cool the mega-chain's ardor somewhat to know the pair was pooh-poohing similar deals just three weeks ago, on the grounds that they tarnish a designer's brand.
The remarks in question were made at Tokion magazine's Creativity Conference, held in Manhattan on October 15. During a panel discussion on "Repackaging the Label," the subject of partnering with discount retailers like Target and H&M (which whipped penny-pinching fashionistas into a frenzy with lines by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney) came up. Hernandez ventured that a long-term association like the one between Isaac Mizrahi and Target "ruins a designer's name ... forever."
"When you're there for the long haul, why is anyone going to go to Barneys and buy your clothes when they can get it at Target all the time?" he added. "That gets dangerous."