Target will unveil its low-priced collection from big-name designer Jason Wu this Sunday, Feb. 5.
The last time Target released a limited-edition collection from a high-end designer -- Italian brand Missoni -- excited shoppers lined up outside stores on the East Coast, and so many flocked to Target's website that it crashed.It's unclear what the response in the Fresno area will be to the $60-and-less collection of Jason Wu clothing, handbags and scarves. But the buzz is growing nationwide.Wu was launched into the national spotlight after designing Michelle Obama's inauguration dress. His line of skirts, dresses and handbags with an American-girl-in-Paris theme have been featured on NBC's Today show, on the pages of Glamour magazine and fashion blogs nationwide.The clothes already are selling on eBay, with a pleated blue skirt item priced at more than seven times Target's price."I don't have a crystal ball to say how the reaction will be," says Target spokesman Joshua Carter. "I will say the buzz has been tremendous, and the excitement has been great."There's a limited number of stores where shoppers can get the products, with just six stores in the central San Joaquin Valley carrying the line. The River Park Target is the only Fresno store carrying the line, along with both Target stores in Clovis, both stores in Visalia and the Porterville Target.Shoppers can get the products when the stores open at their normal time of 8 a.m. Sunday. They'll also be available online, with some products available only at Target.com.Target deliberately sells a limited amount of the products to generate excitement. The retailer will carry the products until March 6, or until they sell out.It's hard to predict how local shoppers will react. Missoni didn't make the same splash here that it did on the East Coast, says Nick Quenga, a manager at the River Park Target overseeing apparel.People didn't line up outside the store. But "quite a few" came in for the products as the store opened, he says. Though customers bought much of the merchandise within the first two hours, the store didn't sell out early, as did many across the country, he says.But Missoni sales in Fresno may not be a good predictor of how the Jason Wu line does. The collections are very different.The Missoni line had more than 400 products, including bicycles, dishes and curtains. Jason Wu has 53 items in two departments."It could be just as good as Missoni," Quenga says. "It could be better."