Target brings Isaac Mizrahi back as creative director at large
The retailer said Mizrahi will advise designers and partnerships as CEO Michael Fiddelke works to lift sales and refresh Target’s style image.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Target is bringing Isaac Mizrahi back into its design operation, creating a new creative director at large role for the fashion designer and television personality. The move matters because Target is trying to rebuild its pull in affordable style while new CEO Michael Fiddelke works on a broader sales recovery, according to The Associated Press.
Target said Monday that Mizrahi will mentor its design teams, advise on product design and innovation, and help develop new partnerships. The company said he will work with Gena Fox, Target’s senior vice president of design.
Mizrahi is known for bright color and rose to prominence in fashion in the late 1980s, according to the AP. His return gives Target a familiar name from one of the retailer’s most important fashion chapters.
A familiar designer partnership
Target first teamed with Mizrahi in 2002, a collaboration the AP described as the retailer’s first with a major fashion designer. His exclusive apparel and accessories line for Target ran until 2009.
That partnership helped set the pattern for later Target designer collaborations, according to the AP. The retailer went on to work with names including Lilly Pulitzer and Missoni.
In a statement released by Target, Mizrahi said his job is to work with the retailer’s team “to bring more joy, style and sophistication to design through storytelling, creativity and a shopping experience that feels even more fun.”
Target framed the appointment as part of its effort to strengthen design and product appeal. The Minneapolis-based retailer has been focused on refreshing fashion and home merchandise, according to the AP.
Part of a wider reset
The appointment comes as Fiddelke continues to make changes after taking over from longtime Target executive Brian Cornell in February, according to the AP. Since then, Target has reshuffled leadership and added outside executives, including a Walmart executive chosen to lead its supply network.
Target has also been changing its merchandise mix. In home goods, the company had said 75% of its decorative assortment would be new, according to the AP.
The retailer reported in May that comparable sales posted their biggest increase in four years, according to the AP. Still, a cautious outlook muted the case that early changes under Fiddelke were clearly winning over shoppers.
Mizrahi’s new role gives Target another design-led move as it tries to reconnect with customers who have long associated the chain with affordable fashion and home style. The company has not announced specific collections tied to Mizrahi’s appointment, according to the details released Monday.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.