Fashion Week is right on Target

Don't hate me for not reminding you that today was the day that Missoni launched their limited edition collection with Target. Do you mean to tell me that you didn't have this marked on your calendar months ago when it was first announced?

I actually was going to blog about this yesterday, and I did in fact have this on my calendar, but I thought most readers would think I was a bit nutty to be writing about such things.

Apparently, there are a lot of other nutty moms out there.

I sauntered into Target near my son's school today at around 9:10am, shortly after I dropped him off. Sadly, all I saw were bare racks of women's clothing and accessories with the Missoni logo on top.  Assuming the clerks had yet to stock the merchandise since the stores had only opened an hour before, I asked a saleswoman when the items would be for sale. She laughed and told me that they were already sold out. Women had camped outside the store and run in like vultures when the doors opened at 8am. One cashier told me that one customer spent more than $3,000 at her register.

In a panic that I'd missed the fashion opportunity of a lifetime, I called my mom in Florida and told her to immediately go to Target and collect every item she remotely thought I might want. They were all returnable, I reasoned, and I figured many would be soon fetching high prices on Ebay. In the meantime, having only an hour before a doctor's appointment, I drove to a Target farther outside the city and found many items still available. The iconic Italian fashion house has outdone themselves reaching out to the masses with everything from shoes, handbags, clothing for men, women and kids, dishes, sheets and towels, paper goods, hair accessories, candles, pillows...even bicycles.  I filled my cart like their was no tomorrow. I can only imagine that this is what Charlie Sheen must feel like at the Playboy mansion.

It turns out, there is no tomorrow, at least where Missoni for Target is concerned. Within hours, stores all across the country were stripped clean of the zigzag patterned motifs. The Target site crashed repeatedly throughout the day, leaving many without access to a local Target in the lurch. As of this writing, there are nearly 10,000 Missoni for Target items listed on Ebay, some for more than eight times their retail value.

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I bought so much that American Express put a fraud alert on my card thinking that it had been stolen. They called me to advise me and I meekly admitted that yes, I was making a purchase for that amount at Target. Half of what I bought will likely go back since I grabbed multiple sizes rather than trying things on in the store. And some of my impulse purchases will be returned or given as gifts. Plus, my mom still owes me a birthday present this year so I figure a fraction of it will be covered.

All I can say is that today, my drab mommy wardrobe got a boost from an unlikely source. I've always coveted Missoni but more from afar and not from within my own closet. I'm sure the ladies who shop at Neiman Marcus would shudder to think that the label is now slumming, but I for one think it was a brilliant move.

However, I'm not sure my husband will agree when he sees the bill.

If you're feeling lucky, try logging on to the Target site to see what's left.