Massclusivity

Saturday afternoons often find Andrew and I enjoying the people and surroundings of our neighborhood. In the past year, we have learned that come 9:00 am on weekend mornings, young families with children and pets have already escaped the house to enjoy the urban, yet neighborly, activity of the Square. I have appreciated the down to earth character of those who inhabit this neighborhood. While it’s definitely not lacking a fashionable style, it’s not exclusively trendy. Think Anthropologie meets lederhosen. A few weekends ago, we were relaxing on a bench and I couldn’t help but notice a very stylish mom hanging out with her son. She had a great dress on and I kept wondering where she purchased it and how much she paid. I finally asked her, braced to hear about some chic boutique, forever out of my price range. The answer? Target. “Yeah,” she said, “they have great designers who create lines exclusively for the store. You have to check often, because things get snatched up pretty quickly.”

Yesterday, I heard on NPR that Vera Wang is coming out with a line, Very Vera, for Kohl’s stores. Ahhh yes, the Democratization of Fashion. In 2000, Target brought in its first design partner, Mossimo Giannulli, followed by Liz Lange in 2002 and Isaac Mizrahi in 2003. A year or two ago, Wal-mart adopted the same approach to attracting more fashion conscious shoppers, but without as much success. And now Kohl’s. According to one fashion blog I read, “In recent years, a slew of high-end designers have worked with lower-end firms to offer "designer" products at low prices. This trend came to be termed "massclusivity"--the idea being that a lower ticket price would make high fashion available to the masses.” But is it possible that by bringing high-end designs to the public, the high-end designers are diminishing their own distinctiveness? Is it not precisely exclusivity that contributes to a product’s prestige and demand? And are we, the masses, truly experiencing the high-end luxury that these designers are bringing to our discount stores? Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to pay $35 for a dress instead of $150. But something has to give, and something does. I recently bought an Isaac Mizrahi dress from Target. Style and fit? Great. Price? Great. Quality and fabric? Questionable. These clothes are not the stuff of the rich and famous. Nor should they be. For the sake of fashion and design, Cate Blanchett should not (and will never) show up at the Oscars with a Mossimo dress from Target.

Bottom line: Massclusivity will not grant me the opportunity to adorn myself with the luxurious fabrics and unique patterns of high-end designers. That’s what makes high-end designers high-end. And if they ceased to be high-end, where would Charlize Theron shop? But massclusivity will give me the opportunity to find unique designs by talented designers for a very reasonable price. Sure, I may need to replace some buttons and trim some loose threads, but hey, you get what you pay for.