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| Target Mossimo messenger bags are darling, right? |
So there's been a little bit of uproar lately regarding Target's super cute new Mossimo messenger bags. The deal is, apparently the bag, which can be purchased for $34.95, bears a striking resemblance to Proenza Schouler's slightly more expensive (cough) PS1 bag. The blogosphere has been buzzing for weeks about the similarities, and recently, Proenza Schouler's designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough let everyone know that they were not happy about the striking resemblance.
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| The Mossimo bag does bear a striking resemblance to the PS1 |
Granted, there are several differences. The first being the price. Again, the Mossimo bag can be purchased for $34.95, which is nothing compared to the PS1 price tag that reads $1,595. The quality of Target's bag is also much lower, as it is made from fake leather and lacks the trademark brass closure of the PS1. It seems like the poor girl's alternative to a celebrity's bag, right? Mr. McCollough is not a fan of this idea, stating with plenty of sarcasm,
“Yeah, why save up and buy ours when you can buy theirs right away?”
I say hold up right there. I'm sorry, Mr. McCollough. Your bag is beautiful and all, but I am never going to spend that much money on a purse. I'm just not, no matter how much I've saved up. And I'm willing to bet that there are a lot of other girls like me out there. All Target is doing is taking something that you have made super exclusive and offering it to the common people. And let's be honest, their bag looks an awful lot like the Mulberry Alexa too.
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| Did Target "copy" the PS1 or the Alexa? |
Besides, is Proenza Schouler losing any real business over it? I have a feeling that people who are truly interested in the PS1 wouldn't be caught dead with the Target knock off, which is clearly not as nice. I'd probably be a little more in support of Proenza Schouler had their bag not come out two years ago. Technically, it should be considered last season... After that much time, I say fair game in the knock off world.
For more of Proenza Schouler's reactions to the Target bag, check out this article by New York Times Fashion.
