Jason Wu for Target Apparel Sells Out in Hours
Credit: Target
ABC News' Christina Ng and Lauren Effron report:
Mere hours after Target released designer Jason Wu's limited-edition collection in-store and online Sunday, the fashion line was sold out.
"The collection became available shortly after midnight online, and was sold out within a few hours," said Joshua Thomas, a spokesman for Target. "The feedback from consumers has been overwhelming positive. …Jason Wu is a fashion darling and his collection is very wearable by a variety of body types and styles."
Thomas added that out of the 1,800 Target stores nationwide, 1,200 of those stores carried Wu's collection and many were "sold out or running low."
Shoppers in some locations waited hours before the stores opened to get a chance to buy the apparel, while others raced to several stores only to find empty racks.
"This is actually my fifth Target store," shopper Nancy Russell told ABC affiliate WZVN in the Fort Myers area in Florida.
Target launched Wu's Capsule Collection with clothing items priced at $60 or less. This follows the mass retailer's enormous success with getting other high-fashion designers, most recently Missoni, on board to offer affordable collections to the masses.
Wu famously designed the white evening gown first lady Michelle Obama wore to the presidential inaugural ball in 2009. The gown is now on display in a Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C.
His Target collection is made up of 53 pieces including dresses, skirts, tops, short, bags and scarves. Wu said it is inspired the idea of an American girl in Paris. Apparel ranges from $19.99 to $59.99 and accessories are $19.99 to $49.99. Luxury department stores sell Jason Wu pieces that can retail for upwards of $3,000.
The collection features floral patterns, fitted silhouettes and blacks and whites paired with bold colors for the spring. The collection's exclusive muse, according to Target, is an illustrated black cat named Milu that appears on a t-shirt, tote bag and silk scarf, as well as in the collection's marketing campaign.
PHOTOS: High Fashion for the Masses: Jason Wu for Target
"By working with Target I was able to create an accessible collection that reflects my sophisticated design aesthetic," Wu said in a statement. "As with my main collection, special attention has been considered into every detail and I can't wait to see girls wearing and enjoying the collection."
While some items are still available on Target's website, Thomas said items from Wu's clothing line would not be restocked. Products will continue to trickle through stores and online as shipments are either delayed or people return items, he said.
A number of the pieces appeared on eBay after last week's launch party and pre-sale event. Some are being sold for double or triple their store prices.
Target's most recent high-fashion collaboration was with Missoni, which caused a similar frenzy both in stores and online. Target's website crashed the day the collection went on sale and items sold out almost instantly, causing a great deal of customer backlash.
Target's website did not crash with the launch of Wu's collection, Thomas said.