(October 27, 2011)– Alexander McQueen, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, Karl Lagerfield and Missoni (most recently) have collaborated with either Target, H&M or Macy’s to design a line. With hard economic times, high-end designers have resorted to partnering with these retailers. This summer Lagerfield collaborated with Macy’s to design a collection for the Impulse section of Macy’s, but the most widely known collaboration this past year was Missoni for Target. The launch of the Missoni collection crashed the Target website within an hour of the launch and the store’s shelves were emptied in about 30 minutes. Missoni’s launch for Target was highly publicized, but while many fashion lovers adore Missoni’s famous knits and patterns, they don’t appreciate the collaboration. According to the Missoni website, the line was started in 1953 by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni. The Missoni family is still very much involved in the business with Ottavio and Rosita’s daughters and granddaughters working and designing for the company. The Missoni collections usually range in price from $230 gloves to $2200 printed silk-chiffon skirts. The Missoni for Target designs, which were a variety of items ranging from clothing to furniture, ran from $2.99 to $599.99. The cheapest item was the set of plates, while the most expensive pieces were a bicycle and a patio sectional. The real question is if these designer items are really considered designer. Many people believe a designer brand should sell their items for an outrageous amount of money, so only exclusive customers could own them. I think those exclusive customers deserve to have their expensive Christian Louboutin heels and their Chanel handbags, but doesn’t the average person deserve a designer item also? The exclusive designers’ products should be available to all people with a varying price range, so everyone who wants the items can afford them. The exclusivity of a designer decreases as their items are made accessible for everyone, but the only reason the designers are collaborating with these stores is to make money. With the economy as bad as it is, not everyone can afford a $500 pair of shoes or a $300 sweater. Designers have to make money, and if no one is buying their expensively priced designs they can’t make a profit. What I don’t appreciate is people buying the collaboration items and selling them on ebay. If these collaboration items are supposed to be cheaper, why are people selling them for two or three times the advertised price? Everyone should be given the opportunity to buy the items at the advertised price, not at an extreme price set by another consumer. I want to save high-end fashion because those high-end designers are the ones who start the trends that many “fashionistas” follow. But high-end fashion can also be available for a cheaper price. I don’t want fast fashion, like Forever 21, to take over the fashion industry, but I wouldn’t mind if Lanvin for H&M helps start those trends. The next designer collaborating with H&M is Donatella Versace, which will hit stores Nov. 19. H&M and Versace recently unveiled their line, which tries to capture the essence of the Versace line. I’m excited to see the items of this collaboration and, lucky for me, they will be in stores within a few of weeks.