On target: as the latest designer to join the big-box store fold, fashion designer Patrick Robinson is serving up hot looks for summer at real cool prices

PATRICK ROBINSON HAS LIVED A CHARMED FASHION LIFE. As a student at Parsons School of Design in New York City, he studied in Paris and worked for famed designer Patrick Kelly. Later, at the age of 24, he was off to Milan, where he spent five years as the design director for Giorgio Armani. Dining his 20-year career, Robinson has headed prestigious labels like Anne Klein and Perry Ellis, launched his own label, and is now a consultant for Paco Rabanne, all the while garnering rave reviews and accolades for his brand of sophisticated sportswear. His garments have graced the pages of top fashion magazines, been worn by glamorous celebrities and models, and made him a favorite of the fashion elite. Yet, despite his highend successes, when a certain mass retailer tapped him to create a line of clothing, he jumped at the chance.

"When Target called and asked if I'd be interested in doing a collection, it took me about 30 seconds to say yes," recalls Robinson, 40, from the company's New York showroom, where racks and racks of samples from his Target collection hang. "Working with them has given me the opportunity to make brilliant clothes that a greater number of people can afford and wear. Target's really focused on making beautiful products, and they dig design."

What's more, he says, he's not merely lending his face and name to a line of products. He actually designed the collection and has been intimately involved in the whole process during the past year.

Robinson took his cue from history to create a line that's thoroughly modern and wearable. As he describes it, "The colors, prints and details are based on ancient Greece." What that translates into stylistically are earthy, sun-bleached colors reminiscent of Mediterranean frescos, draped dresses and tops with goddess-style bodices and old-world-inspired prints. Among basics like cotton tanks, cropped pants and flowing dresses are several standout pieces--a crisp medallion print tunic that can be worked alone or layered over jeans, a graceful strapless sweetheart dress that goes seamlessly from day to evening, and cool linen short-shorts with ties at the thigh. Robinson has even included flirty two-piece swimsuits that can be mixed or matched, and oversized printed fabric totes that work well for the beach or the streets. Moreover, these easy-to-wear items are extremely easy on the wallet (prices range from $13 to $45).

Considering Robinson's earliest efforts as a designer, his new low-end venture isn't that much of a stretch. As a teen growing up in Southern California, he was an avid surfer who also designed gear to complement the sport he loved so much. "I started my own tittle company making surf clothes," he says. "It didn't have a name, or even a label. It was just something fun to do." It was also attractive and affordable enough to earn him quite a following among his high school peers. When it came time to apply to college, Robinson was torn between becoming a doctor like his father or pursuing a career in fashion. Fortunately for him, his parents recognized and appreciated his creative talents and encouraged him to follow his heart and do what he does best.

Robinson is the latest in a series of internationally renowned designers featured in Target's GO International program, which offers limited edition women's fashion collections seasonally. Others have included Proenza Schouler and Behnaz Sarafpour from the U.S., and England's Luella Bartley.

Nearly a decade ago, Target pioneered the concept of inexpensive designer products when it launched a collection of household items by architecture great Michael Graves, followed by wares from preeminent industrial designer Philippe Starck. But Target really earned its fashion stripes when it began offering clothes by iconic 7th Avenue veteran Isaac Mizrahi, whose collections have been perennial favorites since their debut in 2002.

The way Robinson sees it, the current trend of top designers creating clothes for mass retailers is part of the continuum that's always existed in fashion. From secondary clothing lines and designer fragrances to handbags and underwear, he says, "We've always looked for ways to [reach] a bigger audience." And now, through Target, Robinson's doing just that. "Fashion design is how I communicate, and being with Target is allowing me to communicate louder."

ABOUT PATRICK

* California native

* Boat lover who's building a boat at his home in upstate New York

* Worked with Giorgio Armani during the height of his career in the '90s

* Commuted weekly for the past year from Paris to New York

* Married and father of a 3-year-old

Julia Chance is a Brooklyn, New York-based author and writer.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning