Tucker for Target Might Be Losing The Battle of the Collabs

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

• That vest on the right was nearly sold out.
• The Tucker section was heavily staffed with Target employees who immediately informed us that photography was forbidden (hence the not-so-great iPhone snaps)
• There were perhaps five racks total -- not a huge selection.

The biggest problem with Tucker for Target is that it's going up against Alexa Chung for Madewell. Both collaborations project a sweet, vintage-esque Manic Pixie Dreamgirl vibe. They both even feature semi-sheer tops that you could throw on over a black bra for that "I am so busy thinking about ways to be adorably wacky that I have no time to consider whether my underwear is showing" look that's so hot right now. But Madewell simply uses better quality fabric than Target, so while Alexa Chung's collection might be more expensive, it also feels much better to the touch.

That said, the Atlantic Terminal Target was still a total shitshow when we dropped by for the launch yesterday. The Tucker collection is parked at the very front of womenswear, and it was swarming with grabby shoppers. If you took your eye off your selections for a minute, they'd disappear.

Oddly, most of the more wintry items weren't in stock. We though the herringbone wrap coat would go fast, but a Target staffer told us they'd never even ordered it. The merchandise that was there mostly consisted of dresses and shirts, all of them in signature Tucker prints and cuts (strappy for camisoles, loose for long-sleeved hippie tops—see the full Tucker for Target lookbook above for details.) Small sizes were disappearing fast and the wait for the dressing room looked to be about half an hour, which feels a lot longer when you're standing in a mall that smells like Chuck E. Cheese. Bottom line: If you love something, order it online, where nothing seems in danger of selling out quite yet despite the Gilt frenzy earlier this month.
· Alexa Chung's Biggest Fans Are Already Waiting Outside Madewell [Racked NY]
· The Tucker collection [Target]
· Mulberry, Tucker, John Derian for Target Already Cleaned Out on Gilt [Racked NY]