Quick Take 03: Christopher John Rogers Brings Strong Sense of Self to Target

"Quick Take" is a series dedicated to short-form insights on the business of fashion and the expanding industry across the diaspora. From Johannesburg to New York, catch our take on the creatives capturing our collective imagination.

NEED TO KNOW: Christopher John Rogers for Target

Collaborations show limited sign of stopping with or without quarantine, but there is certainly an extra inner cheer felt when the collaboration itself just resoundingly makes sense. Target recently announced its newest roster of collaborators as part of its Designer Dress Collection, including with a one Christopher John Rogers (2020 CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year and LVMH Prize Finalist) to design a capsule of limited-edition dresses just in time for spring. The dresses adopt the same joie de vivre of Rogers’ clearly defined aesthetic — dressing a person in a flourish of color and thoughtfulness of print that reveals their strong sense of self. One cannot help but feel joy in its striking lines and saturated palettes that celebrate the silhouette of the wearer whether form fitting or flowing.

While the exact terms of the collaboration were not publicly disclosed, there are a few things to garner from the announcement.

Christopher John Rogers for Target / Photo Courtesy Target

Using a bar-bell analogy, CJR has tapped into the ultra-affluent client whose shopping grounds align with Net-A-Porter stocking $575 knits and $2,395 gowns while Target will further expand Rogers’ audience at a more approachable price point from $40 to $60. A broader audience builds a pool of prospects, who evolving in purchasing power, will be able to acquire pieces from the main line. Similar to the strategies adopted in multi-category luxury, a $34 lip stick allows the wearer to gain exposure to the brand, buying into the ethos with hopeful eventuality to purchase a card case, then eventually a handbag and perhaps ready-to-wear. It is a more complex consumer journey, but can certainly add extra stickiness and loyalty as a consumer graduates to purchase across the full spectrum of a brand’s assortment.

In a time fraught with so many brands, standing out from the pack requires an attuned sensibility to the wants and needs of the client. Collaborating with Target (hopefully) gives greater information to Christopher John Rogers on the depth and breadth of his client base - all with different perspectives. Those learnings can inform future decisions around merchandising, brick-and-mortar ambitions, and even paid media investments. Data if accessible and used wisely can transform the operational aspects of a business, now needed more than ever.

With rising PR exposure (Beyoncé on British Vogue, Kamala Harris at Inauguration) - all incredibly achieved during these challenging times, the collaboration with Target gives the eager consumer an accessible way to express their interest (albeit partly in the hands of a major corporation). Here’s to hoping the seeds of which will blossom into a devoted clientele for Christopher John Rogers’ main line.