Lilly Pulitzer’s collabortation with Target caused quite a stir on Sunday as the brands limited edition collection went up for sale at the chain retailer.
Women, sometimes in lines running into parking lots, evoked memories of Black Friday hysteria as they battled for a cheaper piece of the usually expensive Lilly Pulitzer brand.
Lilly Pulitzer is responsible for the shift dress, which she sold from her orange juice stand in Palm Beach, Florida, starting in 1959.
The classic and simple design of the Lilly Pulitzer shift dress is a fashion phenomenon that has withstood the test of time and has remained in high demand.
The big deal was that Target only had a limited amount of Lilly Pulitzer fare, and all of those who couldn’t afford to pay hundred of dollars for one of her dresses were exceedingly eager to get one or five for around 80 percent off of what they normally cost.
If #LillyforTarget was supposed to be accessible for everyone, why was it all gone within thirty seconds?
— Bluegrass Belle (@BluegrassBelle_) April 19, 2015
One Lilly Pulitzer-crazed shopper told CNN, “I love her stuff, I love the prints so if I can get something for less, I’ll go.”
That’s why she planned in advance and got up at five am on a Sunday. She said, “I figured it would sell out quickly.”
And sell out quickly it did.
Don't call it a collection if it will only be available for 5 minutes on 1 day – that's called a flash sale @Target #LillyforTarget
— Allison Lothrop (@AllisonLothrop) April 19, 2015
In fact, in a matter of hours, in some cases a matter of minutes, shelves were emptied and online shoppers couldn’t fill their carts fast enough before certain items became unavailable.
However, not everyone is a huge fan of Lilly Pulitzer.
I live in a country where grown women fight to spend their money on tacky floral designs. #LillyforTarget pic.twitter.com/7k5saNRuMZ
— Ponta (@typicalfeminist) April 19, 2015
Robin Givhan of the Washington Post is not impressed with Lilly Pulitzer. She remarked, “The clothes are, upon close inspection, not so terribly attractive. Actually, they are rather unattractive. And that is part of their charm. They are not meant to be stylish — that’s so nouveau. The clothes are clubby. Country clubby. One-percent-ish.”
She continued, “Target created a feeding frenzy of shoppers lured by cheap versions of A-line sheaths that are mostly distinguished by their swirling, colorful prints rather than by silhouette, fabric, craftsmanship or creativity.”
Dear @target, way to piss off thousands of loyal customers and reward a few trashy @eBay resellers at #LillyforTarget #LillyforEbay
— Eric Bell (@EricCBell) April 19, 2015
She then added, “The massive lines, crashing web sites and lust-filled tweets under #LillyForTarget are less proof of shoppers’ discerning taste than evidence that folks love a whiff of leisure-class exclusivity, a brand name and a bargain — however that might be defined.”
What do you think about the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection? Did you stand in line for it?
