As seen on the latest H&M collaborations, Target just announced now its next designer partnership with the internationally-known businesswoman, fashion designer and mother of four, Victoria Beckham.
Victoria Beckham for Target includes more than 200 items for women and kids, marking the designer’s first foray into designing childrenswear. The collection reflects the essence of the Victoria, Victoria Beckham line, with easy-to-wear dresses, rompers and playful tops and bottoms for women, and corresponding styles for girls, toddler and baby.
“I loved the idea of opening the brand up to a wider audience and being able to share my vision with a broader customer base” states Victoria Beckham “So when Target—a company based on accessibility and inclusiveness—proposed a collaboration which combined all of these things, it was an easy decision to make.”
Victoria Beckham for Target is the last of a long row of designer collaborations that the retailer proposed in the last years. Analysts note a dramatic change, though, as to when this partnership has been disclosed to the public: the range in fact will not be sold before April 2017, with a 5 months span. The latest, like Marimekko, Isaac Mizrahi, or Lilly Pulitzer were announced just some weeks before hitting the shelves.
According Fortune’s analysis, this has to do with two factors: the first being that Target wants to get the most of the buzz during the upcoming holiday season. Then Target can actually track in advance the response from consumers, based on the social campaign analysis, and pre-assess the potential of the range, avoiding the too early sold-out effect that got some consumers nervous on the latest Lilly Pulitzer collab.
Correct or not, this angle is a clear demonstration of how collaborations have become pivotal for both the sides of the equation: communication strategy and sales results.