Target Takes On The Plus-Size Market With In-House Ava & Viv Label

by Dena Silver

Last night, over glasses of champagne, Target debuted their latest project: A comprehensive dive into the plus-size arena with a new label, Ava & Viv. Just a few weeks after the introduction of their collab with Lily Pulitzer, the retailer has decided to tap into a whole new market. As the first in-house label they’ve introduced since 2008, it’s kind of a big deal. Offering up trendy, stylish pieces in sizes 14 to 26, the range is totally accessible as well, with pricing topping out at $79.99. The first 90-piece range will hit stores in mid-February, but new styles will be added to the collection on a monthly basis. Target also partnered up with three plus-size bloggers, Nicolette Mason, Chastity Garnerand Gabi Gregg. Target made it clear that Ava & Viv isn’t a collaboration, and the trio sound off on what they did and didn’t like about the Spring collection. They told your Daily that they were able to help out with ideas for the forthcoming Fall 2015 range. We talked with Stacia Andersen, Target’s senior vice president of merchandising, to get some more details on the range. For a complete look at the collection, head to Target’s site.

Where did the name Ava & Viv come from?
The name was developed internally by our creative team. They decided that we wanted two names that we could make into a logo, but we wanted it to celebrate curves.

Is there a real Ava and Viv?
There isn’t an Ava or a Viv, but a few people tonight have said that they’re going to try and pretend they were the inspiration for the line tonight. The drinks are named Ava and Viv, so by the end of the night there might be a lot of Ava and Viv’s!

This is the first line that Target has introduced since 2008, correct?
Yes, it’s a long time. And it’s been a big deal.

Why is that?
We saw a big opportunity in the plus-size market. It’s a big, growing market and we weren’t very well-represented. We had been doing plus-size pieces from other collections and putting them on the floor, but we just really felt like it was our time to provide a simple, chic, affordable line to the plus-size guest. We went to work thinking about what it would look like and we talked to our guests regarding what they wanted. So even before we invited the bloggers in, we were deep in conversation with plus-size guests. They wanted it to be hip, happy, vibrant, in bright colors, and so we really felt that needed its own brand.

How do you think this collaboration will affect the plus-size market?
I feel like this is really giving the plus-size bloggers a voice. And I think that is the biggest change. They’ve been blogging and talking about clothing for a while, but we’re bringing them in and letting them have an impact on an actual line. Just making that social voice come from Target is huge; we’re not watching them from afar and they’re not watching us from afar. This has created a partnership that’s really strong.

Why did you decide to partner with bloggers to launch this collection?
Joshua Thomas,
 Target spokesperson: One of the things we think about across the entire store is where the guest is going for information and inspiration. When it came to our plus guest, we knew they were looking towards the traditional sources, including magazines like Marie Claire. But we also learned that they were looking towards blogs to see, “Can I really wear horizontals? And how do I do that?” They were looking for someone who had a body type similar to theirs who could offer cues on how to interpret and wear trends.

How were Nicolette, Gabi, and Chastity chosen?
Joshua: We had a list of about five bloggers who we found to be really interesting in terms of their understanding of fashion and their personal style. What ultimately drew us to the combination of these three was that one of the tenets of the line is versatility; you can wear the whole thing or you can wear bits and pieces. There are a lot of different types of women who shop Target, so it has to work for a variety of women. We liked the idea of choosing three women who were very fashionable independently and who have different styles from one another. They can wear the same pieces from the collection in an entirely different way.

Did they have any say in the collection’s design?
Joshua: One of the things we asked them to do was to be really, really authentic in their coverage, since their fans and followers will know if they’re not being authentic right away. When we had them with us at our headquarters in Minneapolis, we really wanted them to be honest; we asked them what they liked, what they didn’t like, and what their complaints were. There were certain details they brought up that we weren’t able to address, but there were certain things we could work with, like a hemline or introducing a printed blazer.

Will there be any online content that the bloggers create on Target’s site?
Joshua:
Our online magazine, A Bullseye View, will have a lot of online content from them. The girls are also the face of our online lookbook. They’ll be sharing information on their persective platforms regarding their experience with Target.

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