capitoldebeaute

~Happy Memorial Day!!~Me? I'm really not that happy about it.

11:04 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#dreams #goals #inspirations #affirmations #purpose #truth hope

~The Mystery of Grace~

2:51 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#beauty #week #skincare #makeup #blog #style #fashion #pinterest #paris #dreams #goals #inspirations #affirmations

~It's Friday!!~Let's do this!

9:41 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#lovesundays #capitoldebeaute #coffee #brunch #farmersmarket #

~So Much to Love about Sundays!!-

6:18 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#catEye #beauty #instagram #dior #style #fashion #media #blog #instafab #classics #pinterest #lashes

~Cat Eye Cuteness!!~The Wide Eyed View

9:42 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#Beauty Beauty Blog beauty blogger

Just When You Think Life Couldn't Get Any Better! H & M announces plans to launch a Massive Beauty Line for Fall 2015!

8:00 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#blog #blogger #Fashion

~Night Fever!!~Style Crushing Musings

10:21 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#blog #style #fashion #pinterest #paris Beauty Blog blog

~{lack of} Motivation Monday!!~ a.m. to p.m. Yep, not one to usually complain about Monday, but I get it. Cheers to the vicious cycle!!

3:20 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#mothersday #sundaybrunch Enjoy

~Happy Mother's Day!!~

9:56 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#Beauty #captioldebeaute #dior #style #fashion #pinterest #paris

~My Style Obsession!!~ LA SCÈNE: CHRISTIAN DIOR LADY DIOR SPRING 2015 AD CAMPAIGN FEATURING MAR...

6:46 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#blogger #blogger #challenge #creative endeavors anew deep thoughts

~I Woke up Like this!!~Incoming!! Super reflective mood. Make that Change!

8:46 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

blogger cincodemayo Cocktails

~Cinco de Mayo!!~ Yay! Drink & Think Responsibly, You're too Pretty for Prison!

10:41 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#blogger #blogger #challenge #creative endeavors #instagram #style #fashion #media #blog #graphic #prints #instafab #classics absence

~Quotes that Rock on the Monday after a Great Weekend that included ZERO lousy Presence!!~

9:34 AMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

art Atlanta Balvenie

~From the Instagram Files of Capitol de Beaute!!~Yep, it's been awhile! Feast your peepers!

5:36 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

#chanel # #style #fashion #pinterest #paris #NYFW #chanel #style #media #blog #capitoldebeaute #instafab #classics #black

~Big Deal Lily!~Lily Pulitzer for Target & various other collaborations through Target time.

3:09 PMCapitol de Beaute Blog by Melanie Woodroffe

I love fashion & being stylish, just like you, however, I have become a huge skeptic when it comes to super mass-produced designer brand collaborations.

Here's why!

First of all, if you're not sure what the hype is about, here's the low low.
You can basically own very expensive designer brand names, but made with lower cost fabrics, stitching, and quite possibly, quickly produced via sweat shop labor, etc., for a fraction of the cost you may pay for the real stuff. (Sweatshop, you say?! Yep, I am embellishing a bit, but it's what us writers do to make sure you get it!)

Sounds amazing, right?!

Totally worth standing in line outside of a store with your newborn baby in the wind and pouring rain! I heard you! You said, 'yes' under your breath, with total enthusiasm! Well, yes, until it falls apart in the first wash, or even worse, you meet your twinsy, triplet or an entire legion of identically dressed ladies at the pool, a wedding or cocktail party. Then it's downright mortifying! Plus, a baby with the flu is no fun either!

I'll be honest, I own quite a few pieces from past Target designer collaborations & they're still my wardrobe favorites. I never stood in a line or whacked anyone to get them, just walked right in a store to purchase Kleenex and vitamins, and viola!

The first pieces that I purchased in 2003 were from the Isaac Mizrahi Collection. I love Isaac! Back then (back then, ha! 2003, back then!) Pieces were limited edition and only found in a handful of stores and extremely well made. I like to think that each piece was physically touched by Issac with the golden wand of fashion!
Anyway, during that time, Mizrahi's collection of very high-end clothing & accessories could only be purchased at the stylishly coveted Bergdorf Goodman in New York!
*Intriguing style tidbit; according to Racked, Isaac Mizrahi was behind the creation of the high-low look that same year!* He created the high low! Who knew?! I didn't!

Flashback, Black Friday 2011: Missoni for Target. What a mess. I decided to purchase nothing from this collection, even though I love Missoni! It was then that I knew Target collaborations were no longer for me. I mean, I own real vintage Missoni, so I could tell a difference in quality just by looking at the website before it crashed, AND was really disappointed in the hoarding of pieces by buyers who thought they could turn a quick profit on Ebay. Total fail! These same hoarders are still trying to sell Missoni for Target pieces, to no avail, some 4 years later!

Super luxury high-end brands like Liberty of London, Thakoon, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Band of Outsiders, Zac Posen, Phillip Lim, Rodarte, Altuzarra have collaborated with Target as well; great collections, but still, there is nothing like an original! An infinite list of great designer labels, plus a holiday collection by Neiman Marcus, yet nothing really worth standing in line and fighting for.
To be honest, I may rethink my disdain for these collaborations if a 'Chanel for Target' line is created, but just typing 'Chanel for Target' seems ludicrous....doesn't it?

{photo courtesy of targetdotcom}