Next Target Home Designer (Fab!), Another Gossip Girl Cover

Happy Thursday everyone, we hope today is going swimmingly for you!

We are still aglow about the Lilly Pulitzer Stationery & Gift line we announced we will be carrying in just about two weeks, but other news abounds on the Preppy Planet that we simply must share with you! (Just take a glance at our first and/or second Lilly post if you missed the news yesterday.)

We start with word on Target’s next designer for their home collection: the Orla Kierly Collection for Target will land at your local Tarszay beginning February 1.

Courtesy Racked

TP predicts this collection will be as popular as last year’s Cynthia Rowley group at the Boutique, possibly more so.  It may not resonate as much with those favoring a strictly preppy aesthetic; the colors are more muted than the brights we adore, and the designs do not carry motifs associated with a ‘prep style.’ On the other hand, the lines are very clean; one won’t see a lot of ‘frou frou’ or fussiness with this designer.

The fabulous folks at the Decor8 blog have loads of great images of the Kiely Collection for Target in this post.  For those not as familiar with the company, we share a few looks from their apparel offerings. Below, the Sparkle Cashmere Sweater:

Orly Kiely

Some may recognize the more well-known ‘stem’ prints on their bags, totes and other items. Below, the Small Stem Large Tote:

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Believe it or not, another Gossip Girl star has landed the cover of fashion magazine. In this case it is a big deal for one Blake Lively, as she is the February cover for Vogue.

Mario Testino for Vogue

In the accompanying feature story Ms. Lively covers all sorts of ground, including topics show-related and fashion-related.

Also in G2 news, some readers may remember our post about a Gossip Girl spinoff; word now that the new show is moving forward. The details are in this story on Us Magazine’s website:

“The new CW pilot will center on a teenage version of Lily van der Woodsen (played by Kelly Rutherford) in Los Angeles in the 1980s.”

“Used to being a ‘have,’ attending a wealthy Montecito boarding school and living the high life, Lily is now forced into being a ‘have not,’ living deep in the Valley she once made fun of, and going to public school,” a Warner Bros. statement read.”

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Speaking of “cover girls,” we were delighted to open our T&C Special Issue on Wonder Women and see Diane von Furstenberg!

Town & Country

The special issue comes packaged with the Town & Country Weddings spring issue.  And since we are speaking of Ms. von Furstenberg, we feel compelled to advise you there is an astounding sale on some of the goodies in her online store!   (See our next item, for it also involves this designer!)

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Designers who participated in the last year’s Runway to Change fundraising efforts for President-elect Obama are now offering Inaugural items.  Below, the Obama Love Inaugural Tote Bag by Diane von Furstenberg:

Obama Love by Diane von Furstenberg

Along with this design from Tory Burch:

Tory Burch - Runway to Change

Not for TP, but certainly appealing for others, to be sure.

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Are the fashion and retail arenas still rife with what call SOTTs? (Signs of the Times.) Yes. Indubitably. However we elected to stay more upbeat today and avoid dwelling on the Neiman Marcus layoffs, Goody’s bankruptcy filing, or the Gottschalks bankruptcy.

Instead, we’ll share a tidbit about Curtis Sittenfeld, considered one of the more ‘preppy writers’ on the American literary landscape.  The author of “Prep“ and “American Wife” started an online novella yesterday. As explained on the Slate site, where the novella is running:

“In anticipation of the inauguration, Slate asked Curtis Sittenfeld, whose 2008 novel American Wife chronicled the personal side of politics, to write an original inauguration novella. It will run in five parts, starting today and concluding Tuesday.”

Entitled “All Along, This Was What Was Supposed to Happen: an Inauguration Novella,” the first installment is subtitled “Yes, We Did” and the second, “Got Hope?” How very interesting.

And lest anyone think we forgot, we have nothing new to report on an Inaugural Gown or a daytime look for Michelle Obama.  We did see sketches of designs for Malia and Sasha Obama from the upscale children’s line Bonpoint in a story that ran in WWD this past Monday (the 12th), but were highly suspicious when reading it.

Among other things the story said “the White House stylist” approached the French firm. For openers, we expect the family will be in apparel from American companies. And “the White House stylist” ???  That would be an addition to the staff list we do not expect to see filled.  FYI, the story has been pulled from the Women’s Wear Daily website.

Anywho, we’re out the door. After all, it is a tropical -1 outside, but the sun is brightly shining.  And you know what we always say: “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”