24 Oct Upcoming Designer Collaborations: Excited or Over Them?

Designer collaborations have been around for years now and we know the drill. An affordable retailer {Target, H&M, Kohl’s, etc} teams up with a high end designer {Jason Wu, Versace, etc}, everyone lines up in the wee hours of the morning to scoop everything up before they’re sold out and selling for triple the original price on eBay.

Well, this holiday season is no different. It seems every major chain is unveiling pieces for those who love high style but don’t want to pay full price.

First up, the Target + Neiman Marcus holiday collection debuts on December 1 in stores and online. The line features 50 items from top designers like Marchesa, Carolina Herrera and Tracy Reese. Items range from luggage, home decor and of course, clothes. Since it’s Target, the price range starts at super affordable {just $7.99}, but this is also a designer collection so the most expensive piece is from Alice + Olivia, a $500 floral print bike.

And most garments average $80-$100, like the Robert Rodriguez cocktail dress.

But if you can’t wait until December 1 for the Target x Neiman Marcus line, you can get your hands on two other highly coveted designer collaborations.

On November 7, Narciso Rodriguez will be the first designer for Kohl’s limited edition capsule collection, DesigNation. Dresses, shirts and outwear will top out at $150. Color blocking and black and white structured, feminine pieces rule this line.

And no designer collection would be complete without H&M. Their Maison Martin Margiela collabo hits stores on November 15. This is definitely for the woman who’s a bit edgier, as it takes real style and attitude to pull of pieces like their duvet coat, mirror ball leggings or oversized pants and skirts. This is another line where the prices range from affordable {$30} to yikes {$400}.

And earlier this week Target announced their next big designer for less collection will be with Prabal Gurung, so mark your calendars for February 10, 2013.

I’ve never really been a huge fan of the affordable retailer + designer collaborations {see previous post: Are Designer Collaborations Too Expensive?} but I have to say, I’ve got my eye on the H&M Margiela mirror leggings {just $30} and I love the dresses from Target x Neiman Marcus, but the prices make me wince. I can’t see paying $100 for a piece of clothing from Target, even if a designer name is attached to it. But that’s just me.

How do you guys feel about the influx of designer collaborations? Are you looking forward to any? Over them? What’s the max you’re willing to spend at an H&M, Target or Kohl’s?