One of the things I’ve missed the most during quarantine are my Target/Walmart runs! We get to shop the novelty, seasonal or outrageous trends without a huge spend. However, some of the objectives I’ve been focusing on are shopping Black owned businesses and sustainable fashion. Luckily there’s some of that within Target’s latest collections. Even I’m shopping at these stores I still want quality and to not wear something for just a season. In this post I’m sharing the latest Target Designer Dress Collection Review!
Target’s latest collaborations are with 3 female designers: Rebecca Cohen- Love Shack Fancy, Carly Cushnie – Cushnie, and Lisa Marie Fernandez. From first glance I loved the diversity the 3 women had to offer in style, background, and value proposition. Under normal circumstances, I would have gone to my local Target and done a try-on sesh. However, some of these weren’t sold in store and I’m still not shopping at stores! Here I’m showing the ones I am keeping while leaving out the ones I’m not, but will try to link everything.
Love Shack Fancy
Love Shack Fancy is one of my longest loves while I’ve been blogging. Out of the 3 designers, I know it the best and have several pieces by them. Like the other two designers, this brand is expensive. My strategy in the past has been to wait for an email with a percentage off sale or just wait for my favorites to go on sale. They almost always do, however the risk you run is that it won’t be in your size or that the season is past.
LSF is an unappologetically girly, frilly, lacey, balletish, whimsical dream. These are generally girl’s girl dresses. The Victorian details and fabrics feel beautiful, age well, and make you feel really special when you wear them. I was really excited to experience their collection with Target but had a feeling that materials would be compromised. Some people woke up at 3 AM to get what they wanted to I just tried to get something in the morning. There was almost nothing left. However, a week later as returns come in, you should be able to find something in your size! I did.
Love Shack Fancy Dress One
I’m waiting to get another LSF dress in, but so far this is the one that I kept. The material is 100% polyster (vs 100% cotton) and will not wrinkle and age well. There were a couple of other ones like this dress and were nearly unwearable. They felt like I was wearing a Target sheet set, the material thin and wrinkly. I understand these are made for the masses but I wish that they would just scrap the ones that you can only wear once! It’s wasteful. The dress in the picture below however, was beautifully cut and the material was a great compromise. I recommend!
Lisa Marie Fernandez
I wasn’t too familiar with Lisa Marie Fernandez, but am no obsessed! I am not sure if it was just the pieces I got, but all 3 dresses were beautifully crafted. The materials reminded me of brands like Innika Choo, Veronica Beard, and Rococo Sand. The cuts were flattering and designs a nod to her Latin influence. I haven’t worn these types of dresses since I was a little girl! Full skirts with a flamenco/folklorico feel, detailed trimming, and feminine.
Lisa Marie Fernandez Dress One
This one shoulder dress is like a summer Barbie look! There’s also a black and white one but opted for a pattern I don’t have. I can also see it styled with sneakers or ballet flats!
Lisa Marie Fernandez Dress Two
This dress is a classic Latin flair! The trimming is beautiful and the fabric is full and feels so rich. It’s definitely an attention-grabbing dress! I styled it with black sandal heels but will work well with sandals and sneakers too.
Lisa Marie Fernandez Dress Three
I love seersucker anything. The dress on this one is light and not quite see through but you definitely can’t wear black undies underneath. I love the button down detail and pockets. This dress is perfect for the beach, bbq or just hanging out at home! There’s also a beautiful gingham pattern in black and white.
Lisa Marie Fernandez Dress Four
I love a dramatic white dress! This dress feels really luxurious and expensive. I love it so much even without the sash.
Target Designer Dress Collection: Cushnie
Cushine, I’ve admired from afar for a while. The impeccable cut, silky fabrics and gorgeous deliberate structure their clothes seem to possess. I had just covered Cushnie in my Black owned fashion brands post and at the time had no idea they were about to drop a collaboration with Target! Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found out. Finally, I could own something Cushnie without a huge monetary commitment. Like, LSF and Lisa Marie Fernandez, they do have great sales! I just hadn’t caught any yet.
Target Designer Dress Collaboration- Cushnie Dress One
I love my LBD, and it seems that chic sleek dresses are part of what Cushnie does so well with it’s main brand. This one spoke to me because of it’s pretty back tie and two-tone fabric. The cut is unbelievable. It hugs you in all the right places, accentuating waist and displaying curves. I cannot wait to wear this on date night or to the symphony!
Cushnie Dress Two
Save the best for last? I LOVE this dress. Out of all the dresses across all designers on launch day, I was confused that this one was available in every size. It seemed like most of the other dresses were picked over but this one was fully in stock. It didn’t look terribly flashy on the Target website but there was something about the asymmetrical, two-tone cut that spoke to me. I was so happy when I got it and was able to put on immediately without steaming. It’s a great dress that is really versatile.
The Pros of Target’s Designer Dress Collection Review
INCLUSIVITY All in all, I commend Target for their designer dress collaborations. The corporate office, from my personal experience, may not be very diverse, but they’re very inclusive when it comes to their customers. Sizing was a huge win for these fashion designers here. The clothing ranged from 0-22W. Price points averaged $50 per piece, opening these designers up to many more people.
EXPOSURE Another pro is that I got to try two brands that I may not have if it wasn’t at this price point! Now that I have a connection with them I can think strategically about what makes sense to shop from them in the future!
The Cons of Target’s Designer Dress Collection Review
It’s hard to shop a new line online when you aren’t familiar with the quality and what you’re gonna get. I’ve noticed that I’ve shopped only brands I’m familiar with during quarantine to minimize returns. I felt there was a disparity across the quality. Perhaps if they made only half as many but the quality was consistent?
Today I went to return the pieces (not shown here) that didn’t work for me and I saw SO many returns. Mostly, it was the dresses made from that low quality bed sheet cotton. Please stop making clothes with that!
My take away is that if you can save to buy from one of these designers from their main collections it may be worth your while! See samples above. 🙂 You’ll have the dress for a long time and help Earth breath a bit easier! Love, Z
