Lady LUX

In an unlikely collaboration, Neiman Marcus and Target are teaming up for a special limited edition Christmas collection designed by 24 CFDA designers, as reported by WWD.com. The Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection will launch on Dec. 1 at all 1,763 Target locations, 42 Neiman Marcus department stores and both online retail sites.

The luxury department store chain and the trendy discounter has on-boarded respected designers including Derek Lam, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch, Alice + Olivia, Altuzarra, Band of Outsiders, Brian Atwood, Eddie Borgo, Judith Leiber, Lela Rose, Marchesa, Philip Crangi, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, Robert Rodriguez, Rodarte, Skaist-Taylor, Thom Browne and Tracy Reese. The collection will range from $7.99 to $499.99, with the majority of the items under $60.

As each designer creates one to three items, there will be over 50 total pieces in women’s, men’s, children’s apparel and accessories, sporting goods, home décor, pet accessories and electronic accessories. The collection promises silk, leather, hand-beading, hand-blown glass and 10-karat gold detailing as components.

“We have been talking to Target over the years about doing some sort of collaboration, but we never found the right time or right way to do it,” Karen Katz, president and chief executive officer of Neiman Marcus Inc. told WWD. “This is kind of ground-breaking. Neiman Marcus and Target share a passion for great design and delighting customers in new and unexpected ways.”

“Target and Neiman Marcus are known for charting new terrain and, by joining forces for the holiday season, we’ve set the stage for a redefining moment in retail,” said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO of Target Corp.

The Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection will be merchandised together as one cohesive shop at both retailers. The marketing campaign for the collaboration will include television, print, digital and social media and a logo incorporating both store names will appear in the in-store shops and advertising.

“We have never been involved with anything like this with another retailer,” said Kathee Tesija, Target’s executive vice president of merchandising. “It appears we are very different. Our store experiences are very different. It took us some time to brainstorm on the idea. But we have a lot of similarities — our love of design for one, and the concept of 24 really diverse designers got us all excited. We really formed one team and approached this together, as a team. I would say there was a working group of about 50 people, in merchandising, marketing, design, technical areas and sourcing. Every functional area had representation.”

In celebration of the extraordinary partnership, Target and Neiman Marcus will donate $1 million to the CFDA.

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