Just like a bottle of Beaujolais, Libertine's collection is delicious, bright and fun!  After the slight mis-step with Patrick Robinson, Target's GO International line is back on track and may well be the most wearable collection for the widest range of styles, ages and body types. 

Libertine's partnership is the stuff of legends…good friends Cindy Green and Johnson Hartig held day jobs as a graphic designer (at DKNY in NYC) and an aspiring actor in Los Angeles. Cindy moolighted as a rock singer while Johnson sold re-cut vintage pieces to high-end boutiques…struggling artistes indeed! Cindy sent Johnson a silk screened gorilla t-shirt that he re-cut and wore to an LA party. Evidently the right people noticed, they immediately received orders from celeb-favorite Fred Segal and the rest is history. (There's an adorable video on Target's web site detailing their backgrounds...it's narrated by Johnson’s rescue Chihuaua mix ’Pocket’.)

Libertine built their label around customizing vintage pieces with silk screening, re-cutting and reinterpreting iconic looks with cheeky flourishes. Their one-of-a-kind creations became coveted by rockers (Mick Jagger, Michael Stipe, Dave Navarro), actresses (Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler) and even designer Karl Lagerfeld (who knew Uncle Karl could rock out like that??). Here’s an example from one of their 2006 collections.

(I’ve included the following close-ups to show details unavailable from Target’s stock photography...sorry, but eBay only allows 10 photos/guide or I would have included more.)

The collection for Target ($12.99-39.99) builds on this penchant for reinterpretation and making the iconic ironic. Case in point: if The Official Preppy Handbook sits on your shelves (or buried in a box), you’ll laugh out loud when you see the embroidered whales with skulls motif on shorts, cute kick-pleated skirts and a fab fishing hat with matching duffel.  Rock and roll plays prominently in the collection as well--the ubiquitous skull motif also appears (with other icons of death and destruction) on ruffled tanks, an argyle sweater vest and puff sleeve silk tops. This truly is a collection to be loved by Avril Lavigne fans AND their moms! 

Three pieces I especially like are the Ruffle Neck Linen Blend Jacket, Silk Lace Slip Dress and Silk Bow Blouse. The Vivienne Westwood-inspired jacket is surprisingly good quality (linen/cotton 55/45) with impressive vintage look rose button detailing and a full lining in Libertine’s signature script print (found in other pieces of the collection).

The slip dress is even more impressive and is very similar to a Dolce & Gabbana piece that retailed for about $1500. (Outer layer is silk w/lace insets all around, under layer is a poly blend.)

Silk Bow Blouse features luxe charmeuse fabric usually featured in blouses (I’m thinking Nanette Lepore and Marc Jacobs) for $150+. More cute details include trendy puff sleeves, a removable bow (it’s attached by two stitches at the back) and tiny crystal-centered buttons. I think that these 3 pieces, along with the very figure flattering Crepe Dress w/Belt will be the early sell-outs, so buy/order them before you’re paying a premium on eBay and other auction sites. (smile)