ROSEMARY MAC CABE

When it comes to designer collaborations, that is. Though I considered journeying to Belfast to obtain a pair of Pierre Hardy shoes (pictured left) when he collaborated with Gap, I have principles. (Yes, it has been noted that said principles don’t extend to boycotting Primark or American Apparel, but I’m getting there.) No, my principle here is that, if Gap won’t extend its Pierre Hardy range to its Dublin store, I won’t extend my journey time to three hours. But why the reluctance to stock on our emerald isle?

H&M is one of the champions when it comes to designer collaborations, and they’re not picky about which countries their items are stocked in. Recent years have seen Stella McCartney, Madonna (ahem), Karl Lagerfeld and Matthew Williamson lend their design skills to the Swedish store’s high-street range – and we in Ireland have had the opportunity to access the items. That said, I’ve never been that blown away by what’s been offered – and H&M has some serious sizing issues to contend with before I’ll be handing over my cash or cards (the only item I would have purchased, for example, in the Matthew Williamson range, would have been the turquoise jeans, in which I would have been a size 18 and, again, principles).

But anyone who subscribes to any decent fashion blogs or news sites (I’d recommend New York Magazine‘s The Cut, incidentally) will know that there are a whole range of designer collaborations that we don’t get access to – not always because stores don’t stock the ranges here, but often because we don’t even have the stores. Like Target, which is currently doing a Rodarte range – or Jil Sander for Uniqlo. On that note, why don’t we have Uniqlo? Or Matalan! All we have is Muji which, while great for office supplies, is fairly rubbish for clothing.

Rodarte for Target

Then again, based on the images that have so far been revealed of the Rodarte-Target mash-up, I’m not quite sure I’d be bothered. Unlike Hardy’s range, which is fashion-forward while maintaining an accessibility that means it can be worn on the street with few problems, the Rodarte girls seem to have lost sight of the high-street customer and have stuck very much to their catwalk guns. Translation? Their stuff just isn’t all that wearable. On the other side of the wearability spectrum is Sander’s range for Uniqlo, which is wearable at least, but may in fact put you to sleep while you’re dressing.

Jil Sander for Uniqlo

The items could be described as basics, it’s true, and nobody is going to find them offensive, per se (unlike Marmite or salad cream), but that’s really not what we look to our designers for, is it? Personally, I look to designer fashion for a few distinct things.

1. I would like my designer items to be interesting. It helps, although it’s not essential, if people stop me on the street to admire them. Designer duds should have that certain “wow” factor.
2. Beautiful fabrics. Patterns, silks and crisp cottons really distinguish designer from high street and make sure you have something special and, again, interesting. Otherwise you may as well shop in the basics section of Marks & Spencer.
3. That they be a little bit expensive. I know it’s snobby, but buying expensive items is one way of ensuring you won’t see 10 million of them on O’Connell Street on a Saturday afternoon. It’s not an elitist thing although it functions as such but that’s more a byproduct; for me it’s just that if an item is going to feel special, I don’t want to see it on everyone else.

I guess you could say that most designer collaborations fall out of those prerequisites, but you’d be wrong; Anna Sui did a range for Target also, inspired by the amazing fashion on Gossip Girl, and she hit the mark almost 100%. The items are interesting, they have beautiful fabrics and, though they might not be expensive, they’re whimsical enough to divide people – meaning that, while a decent portion of the population will like and buy them, an equally decent portion will not, pretty much guaranteeing that you won’t get caught out at a party with someone else’s dress on.

Anna Sui for Target

Well it doesn’t matter anyway, does it, as we can’t purchase Anna Sui here. Although we have Debenhams, which has long-standing links with several design houses, nothing there has quite blown me out of the water. Designer collaborations? Good idea or cheap marketing ploy? Let me know what you think in the comments – and write a letter to Gap. Having stores here is all well and good (and we get nicely ripped off with the exchange rate), but why are we bottom of the pile when it comes to the good stuff?

Related posts:

1. Rodarte for Target Christmas 2010
2. I can’t keep on waiting for you. . . (a reminder)
3. Budget style update – Part Four