An ode to Jason Wu (for Target)
I think this campus can safely say that last weekend is going to be hard to top, and I am not even talking about basketball. Um, you do know this is a fashion column, right? As such, the delirium (and crazy fans) to which I am referring are the followers of a religion known as Jason Wu. I am proud to admit that I am one of them so you _know_ I was all over the Jason Wu for Target collection when it hit Target stores Feb. 5 (Super Bowl Sunday, ironically enough). You “superfans” have never met fashion fans.
After the Missoni for Target “debacle” last September when bargain-hunting fashionistas crashed the website and battled it out guerilla warfare style, Target was better prepared for Wu’s much-anticipated collection, which included his clean-lined day dresses, floral skirts and flowing blouses, all for a tiny fraction of the usual price. No one does American chic quite like fashion prodigy Jason Wu, who catapulted to fame when he dressed First Lady Michelle Obama in a flowing white gown for the Inauguration way back in 2009. Despite putting out both fall and spring lines (as well as pre-fall and resort lines and expanding his empire to include accessories and perfume) Wu decided to branch out once more, this time to Target, which has produced an undeniable market winner with its collaboration lines. “I wanted to expand my reach and Target was the perfect place to do that,” Wu told CBS News.
Wu’s mission was certainly accomplished. As of Tuesday, I would hazard a guess that no merchandise remains in stores except for the few lonely returns not being sold on eBay for a 300 percent mark up. [Target.com](target.com) sells merchandise (the collection is supposed to last until March) just as soon as it receives more, though the original shipment sold out when it was released early Sunday morning. Target will not comment on when and what will be restocked next online or if it will be restocked at all. Target, though decidedly more vocal in its customer service approach this time via social media, has also kept mum on how the line is doing financially thus far (I’m guessing well) and has not addressed the overwhelming criticisms of customers buying the line just to turn around and resell the merchandise on eBay for hundreds of dollars more than they were purchased for, defeating any purpose of saving money. You may have seen the viral video of the couple in Miami who bought out the entire line in two minutes to resell on eBay. Case in point.
Being a devout follower of Wu, I did make my way to Target to witness the madness myself. As I ventured out early Sunday morning too exhausted to even grab caffeine or put in my contacts, I realized I was slightly insane. It was cold, and I was wasting a perfectly good morning built for sleeping, but somehow the thrill of the chase eliminated all logic. Although the crowds the major news outlets were reporting were not present in good ol’ Columbia, a line of about twenty or so did form around fifteen minutes before the red doors swung open Sunday morning. Most seemed to be college-aged girls looking for a bargain, but I was surprised at the older generation who I cannot help but think were looking to exercise their capitalistic pursuits via eBay.
Despite the five-foot run to the clothing section (we weren’t knocking on the door, we were bustin’ in) and the occasional bony elbow thrown, I did score what I came in to buy, and within five minutes the line was sold out, save for a lone dress and top in XL. The dressing room acted as a bartering session as sizes were exchanged and clothes were pooled in carefully guarded piles, protected by well-manicured nails. Even as wide-eyed and interested as I was in the scene, I took my exit and proceeded to the checkout as several employees remarked that they had no idea what had just occurred. Their loss, because no one woos quite like Jason.
