Shownotes
This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment reacts to Target's decision to name fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi as its first-ever Creative Director at Large, a brand new role in which Mizrahi will advise on product design, mentor Target designers, and help the retailer reclaim its iconic cheap chic identity.
Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn aren't exactly wowed. While they agree that creativity never hurts, both question whether a lack of design vision is actually what's holding Target back right now or whether the real issues are operational, from store execution to service to merchandising. Chris draws on his Target background to push back on the nostalgia play, invoking the legendary Missoni sellout as a reminder that you can't go back to the well and expect the same magic twice.
They also wonder aloud where Mizrahi's influence will begin and end across a portfolio this broad and whether this headline is more about buzz than genuine strategic direction.
⏩ Tune in for the full episode here: https://youtu.be/k2JviUlR0-Q
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Transcripts
Target has named fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi as its first ever creative director at large, a brand new role in which Mizrahi will advise on product design, mentor Target designers, and help the retailer reclaim its cheap, chic identity.
Speaker A:According to Target's corporate press release, Mizrahi will serve as a creative advisor across key product and design milestones, including new product concepts, design innovation, and emerging trends, working alongside Jenna Fox, Target's senior VP of design.
Speaker A:This summer, Target will also launch a new mentorship program giving select designers, from established leaders to emerging creatives, direct access to Mizrahi through one on one sessions, immersion experiences, inspiration trips, and design workshops.
Speaker A:Jen, does the return of Isaac Mizrahi to Target excite you?
Speaker B:Didn't come out of this headline like, oh, I cannot wait to see what Target comes up with.
Speaker B:I do think it's interesting.
Speaker B:I think it's, you know, if Mizrahi is here as a creative director and a sort of support system for.
Speaker B:I think you said Jenna Fox, right?
Speaker B:And any other designers there, I would be curious what their thought is on it.
Speaker B:Is it more like, oh, we must really need help because now he's stepping in to help out, or are they excited about it?
Speaker B:Like, wow, this is gonna be fantastic.
Speaker B:We need this type of, you know, fresh ideas and someone to bounce ideas off of.
Speaker B:I'm not sure.
Speaker B:I'm not really convinced that lack of creative design was the biggest issue for Target today.
Speaker B:So I don't think this could hurt.
Speaker B:But when you say, does it excite me?
Speaker B:Like, is this where Target really needs to be headed?
Speaker B:I would say probably not.
Speaker B:I think their biggest opportunity is service in the stores.
Speaker B:I think they've lost that sort of red shirt service that they used to be known for.
Speaker B:But staying ahead of the curve creatively can't hurt.
Speaker B:I guess that's my thoughts.
Speaker B:I'm really interested on your thoughts because you have more Target history and context to go from here.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, I agree with you.
Speaker A:I don't think this is the biggest issue.
Speaker A:I think the biggest issue is operations and great merchandising, you know, both in store and online.
Speaker A:You know, the product design, I think has always been in the ethos of Target, and if they lost that in the short amount of time, that really says something, which is why I don't.
Speaker A:This, this, this headline doesn't inspire me at all.
Speaker A:It doesn't wet my, my whistle one bit.
Speaker A:Jen.
Speaker A:I think, you know, in fact, I think a lot of what I discuss in the headline actually seems silly.
Speaker A:Like the whole tutelage thing, I mean, like we just said, you have a history of great design in your organization, and you need tutelage.
Speaker A:I mean, come on.
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker A:That's just bogus to me, and I'm going deep on the press releases this week.
Speaker A:But, like, that's just something you say to beef up the press release to make it sound cooler than it is if you step back from it.
Speaker A:So all the designers are taking trend trips anyway.
Speaker A:So that part just doesn't make sense to me.
Speaker A:But the thing I really don't like about it, Jen, the reason it doesn't excite me at all.
Speaker A:And I'm gonna share an anecdote on this one.
Speaker A:I remember back when Target did the miss the Missoni partnership.
Speaker A:I'm sure you remember that too.
Speaker A:It was a big deal, right?
Speaker A:Blew out in minutes.
Speaker A:Like, the supply and the stock was gone in just seconds, and there was talk of doing again.
Speaker A:And I remember the CEO Greg Steinhoff at the time said, you know, I asked the then cmo, Michael Francis, he said, I asked him, like, should we do it again?
Speaker A:And Michael Francis told him, I don't remember exactly what he said, but he said something like, no, you'll never do this again.
Speaker A:And he said, why not?
Speaker A:And he said, because you can't go to the well again.
Speaker A:It's just not.
Speaker A:It's not cool.
Speaker A:You can't.
Speaker A:Our job as target is to continually push the envelope and re up ourselves.
Speaker A: n your assortment in the late: Speaker A:And so to me, it's almost lazy.
Speaker A:And it also potentially gives too much control to one person, the way this is described, too.
Speaker A:So I don't like it for that reason, too.
Speaker A:But the biggest reason I don't like it is it doesn't.
Speaker A:We just said it at the outset.
Speaker A:You got to merchandise, and so you got to do better, you got to try harder, you got to push the envelope harder than going back to the retread idea.
Speaker A:That worked once.
Speaker A:And how well it worked is still a big question to me too.
Speaker B:You sort of have that Target background and history more so than I do.
Speaker B:I'm not against this.
Speaker B:I just don't.
Speaker B:I don't know how many eggs they're putting in this basket.
Speaker B:I guess I hope that the eggs are going in the other baskets and this is just sort of a fun headline that they can share.
Speaker A:Yeah, but, you know, like, we always talk about on the show.
Speaker A:You're 10,000 people.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so, like, was.
Speaker A:Would the new Isaac Mizrahi assortment get you into Target again?
Speaker A:Would you get excited to go see it?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker B:But also, he's creative director over all of the categories.
Speaker B:Am I right?
Speaker B:So it's not like, in a sort.
Speaker B:It's not like just apparel and he's coming out with a line or just home goods and he's coming out with a line.
Speaker B:I mean, I think there are some great lines at Target today.
Speaker B:I think some of their home stuff is.
Speaker B:Is amazing.
Speaker B:I think they have a few clothing lines that are fantastic.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So, no, I don't exactly know, like, how they would even roll that out because it's, you know, it's just that he's responsible for all of it.
Speaker B:He's helping everyone with the role.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Where's it going to begin and end?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So, yeah.
Speaker A:How are you actually even going to feel the judge, so to speak, relative to how you already felt the judge.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And it's an expensive judge, I got to imagine as well, when you bring somebody like that in, too, again, against your previous overhead to do what you said you thought they were doing fairly well.