Design - Thursday, July 29, 2010 21:30 - 7 Comments

Bringing Sexy Back to Target

Pop star Justin Timberlake is to be the latest design star for Target. It was announced today that Timberlake will work with Target to have William Rast jeans in stores, by December of 2010. William Rast is a contemporary clothing line started by the Grammy winner and his childhood friend Trace Ayala. Their specialty is distressed $200.00 denim jeans.

What does it tell the general public about design when they can push a giant, red, shopping cart down the aisle of the second largest retailer in the U.S., behind Walmart, and snap up some Philippe Starck lawn chairs, a Michael Graves coffee pot and now an affordable pair of William Rast jeans? That design can be accessible and not just for the wealthy elite? Hopefully.

But am I too romantic to believe that it should be great designers who are celebrated on a mass scale rather than the boys and girls that can win the popularity contests?  Answer: “Yes!” I find “celeb-turns-designer” stories irritating.

The problem is that once you blur the line between respected-in-certain-elite-circles designer and guy-who-sells-iTunes-downloads-and-also-invested-in-a-fashion-line “designer” it gets a bit hazy. It’s a friendly, boyish, conseratively stubbled reminder that getting fame as a designer is more about shaking hands and kissing babies than it is creating something that excites and inspires.

I am, in no way, knocking Justin Timberlake or Trace Ayala for their success. May Target shareholders enjoy a very merry, prosperous fourth quarter!

In fact, I encourage people to do things that are in any way creative –even former New Mickey Mouse Club millionaires. All of us struggle with the initial blank canvas, blinking computer screen cursor or fresh block of unmolded clay. I want more people to pursue their talents and push forward in sharing.

The more earnest designers put themselves out there and push against the ignorance and apathy, the more innovation we can all enjoy. Part of the creative process involves introversion but the other, very critical part, is getting the word out about yourself and your work. And that, in turn, helps support the current surge in design appreciation (even if it’s just “LUUVing everything in the IKEA catalog). If designers, both professionally trained and self-taught do not put themselves out there, we all suffer. Design will be seen not as giving form to art but, instead as just some lame marketing tool.