Phillip Lim Sample Sale Shoppers Say Target Ruined the Pashli - Racked NY

Thursday, November 7, 2013, by Tiffany Yannetta ^[1]

The Phillip Lim Pashli ^[2]

For some shoppers at this week's Phillip Lim sample sale ^[3] , the Pashli bags just ain't what they used to be, thanks to the designer's recent Target collaboration in which an iteration of the coveted satchel was produced (and later ransacked) in faux leather.

The reader who started the conversation in the sale post thread argues, "Why would you spend $500 or even $400 [on] a bag that looks exactly like the Target one that is going for $49 on eBay? Do you think anyone can tell the difference from half a block away? I sold all mine when I saw the Target one! Too close too similar!"

Another asked in response, "How does it take away from the brand? I can see a diffusion line taking away from a brand, like Marc by Marc, but a leather bag vs. a leather bag labeled made in Italy? I don't see the comparison." (That was quickly followed by "oops meant pleather.*") As of now, the last word reads: "Have any of you actual seen the Target satchels or even the Pashlis IRL? They are loosely similar in shape, but the similarities end there."

We're not taking sides, but it is worth noting that this conversation stemmed from a sample sale post, an event where leftover overstock and production pieces are shilled at a discount. (In the case of this sale, those bags were all snatched up fast—so someone still wants them.) It's an argument worth having, particularly since Isabel Marant's collab for H&M is about to debut next week, and Target's next designer is a lofty one: Peter Pilotto. The debate: do high-low collabs diminish the quality of the brand? Do sample sales, for that matter?

· Inside the 3.1 Phillip Lim Sample Sale: Bags, Shoes, Clothes ^[4] [Racked NY]