A Laid Back Spring

Fashion

Mar 28

Written By

It's hard to believe that it's been over a year since Gabi, Chastity and I were first invited to the Target Headquarters in Minneapolis to preview their then not-yet-announced plus-size line, Ava & Viv. We were excited then to be part of something new, but especially excited to impact the change and evolution of the brand, (it's no secret that the initial collection, while serving a great need and making plus-size clothes available in all their brick and mortar stores, fell a little short when it came to delivering trends and fashion). By their second season, last fall, we saw immediate improvements in the collection as well as a direct influence in the conversations Gabi, Chastity and I had with the in-house design teams. Our feedback, both from ourselves and that our readers shared with us, was welcomed and appreciated by the Target designers, merchandisers, and buyers - and they were excited to invest wholly in the needs and wants of their customers. A year later, it's clear that Ava & Viv is getting through its growing pains and developing a design sensibility (free of hanky-hem tops) of its very own.A year later, we returned to Minneapolis (and had our own sprinkle of midwest snow during our quick visit), to see the finalized collection for this spring as well as the work-in-progress collections through the end of the year. Spring/summer has a decidedly laid-back, bohemian feeling - with a great focus on fabrics and materials that have exceptional hand-feel; the touch of this jacket, for example, is incredible. It's the type of thing you want to live in. There are breezy dresses, wear-to-death chambray tops and shirt dresses, and a continued commitment to amazing denim (seriously, every person I've encouraged to try them on has come back with glowing reviews - and, this paint-splatter pair? They're practically perfect). Plus, as Gabi and I plan ahead for a trip to Greece next fall, there are a ton of blue-and-white flowy pieces that are begging for a gorgeous destination.As the weather warms up, I'm honestly excited to get into some of these easy, ultra-comfortable pieces!