THAKOON FOR TARGET: SOMETHING SPECIAL OR NOT?

Even though Thakoon's much anticipated collection for Target isn't out until December 25Th, there is still a much buzzed hot fuss around what the collection will have to offer. Thakoon Panichgul, a young designer who is relatively fresh to the fashion world, is known for his outlandish patterns, simple cuts, and great use of color and unique textile design. He garnered alot of attention after dressing Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention. The much anticipated line will retail between $20 and $80, approximately, for each piece, a more-than-steep price cut from the usual $600+ it costs to own one of Thakoon's basic designs. The question that I ask, however, is "Are these clothes really that superior to the other clothes on the Target racks, or are they considered better because of the man that sketched them out?". The collection for Target has got mixed reviews; some calling it incredibly chic and urban cool, while others say it looks like a "grandma's idea of what a night on the town should be like". Quite the variation in opinion, but none-the-less, the collection does indeed carry much buzz. The collection itself is somewhat representative of what the designer typically does. Bold prints? check. Offbeat color combination? Check. Simple construction and cut? Check. The difference? I'm afraid that the clothes come as looking like a cheap, knockoff version of the designer's handy work. They look more like a Wal-Mart adaptation of Thakoon, which is obviously not a positive, seeing how Thakoon himself designed these clothes as well. The prints are uninteresting, unambitious and carry not genuine aesthetic. The cuts are in fact simple, but to the point of looking cheaply made, and not fashionably groundbreaking; or even current. It appears as though I have answered my own question, but it's a question that you yourself must answer as well. The trick is however, to do it quickly though, because it is inevitable that these clothes will fly off the shelves, if for no other reason, than for the name behind them.