Target names Isaac Mizrahi to design role
Target is bringing back a familiar fashion name as it looks to sharpen its focus on style and design.
The Minneapolis-based retailer said Monday that designer Isaac Mizrahi will become its first creative director at large, a newly created role aimed at strengthening Target's reputation as a destination for affordable design.
With Mizrahi, Target is leaning into one of the most successful pages from its past as it works to revive its business after several years of sluggish performance.
Mizrahi was the first major fashion designer to partner with Target, helping pioneer a model of bringing designer labels to mass-market shoppers that has since become a hallmark of the retailer's merchandising strategy.
Target CEO Michael Fiddelke has said restoring the retailer's reputation for style and design is a key part of the company's turnaround efforts.
In May, the retailer reported its strongest quarterly sales growth since the pandemic, with gains across every merchandise category. Executives said baby, beauty and health and wellness led the way, while apparel and home posted more modest increases.
"My partners at Target and I have always shared the idea that great design should belong to everybody, and Target is poised to be the design authority in a way only Target can," Mizrahi said in a news release.
After Mizrahi, Target partnered with Kate Spade New York, Diane von Furstenberg, Zac Posen and Lilly Pulitzer. Posen later took on a similar role as creative director at Gap.
Mizrahi, whose namesake collection was sold at Target for years, will advise the retailer's design team on product concepts and trends while helping identify new partnerships and experiences. He also will work with Target designers through a mentorship program launching this summer.
Target said Mizrahi will collaborate with Gena Fox, the company's senior vice president of design, and contribute to branding and design-focused initiatives. Mizrahi will not be responsible for designing a collection this time around.
Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester said the partnership builds on Target's longstanding emphasis on making well-designed products accessible to shoppers.
Other retailers have followed Target's lead, using high-profile designers to elevate their own brands. H&M teamed up with Karl Lagerfeld, the longtime Chanel designer, in 2004. Walmart later hired celebrity fashion designer and "Project Runway" judge Brandon Maxwell to help oversee several of its brands.
Liza Amlani, founder of Retail Strategy Group, said Mizrahi's return could help sharpen the retailer's apparel strategy, given his track record working across off-price, department store and luxury channels. That experience, she said, could help Target bring more direction and clarity to its clothing business.
"Mizrahi alone won't fix Target," Amlani said in emailed comments. The retailer faces real operational challenges. But a sharper, more distinctive assortment is where the customer experience starts."
The Mizrahi announcement comes as Target has become part of a nostalgia trend on social media this spring. Even the company's own Instagram feed has joined in.
While some posts lean into childhood memories, others reflect on the retailer's current state.
Several shoppers recently told the Star Tribune that the quality of Target's clothing - once a go-to for basics - has slipped, making items harder to sift through and, in some cases, not worth the price. Others said the assortment has increasingly catered to younger shoppers, leaving fewer options for professionals and older customers.
Target has developed an internal tool called Trend Brain that uses AI to analyze social media, fashion shows and real-time shopping data to spot emerging styles, helping the retailer bring trends to market in weeks instead of months. It also has revamped its SoHo store to focus more heavily on fashion, beauty and other lifestyle products.
Analysts recently met with Target's leadership. Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joe Feldman said, "A clear strategy, re-energized leadership, better resource allocation and technology are fueling Target's transformation, with early success evident."
But he added that a turnaround "may not be linear."
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 2:46 PM.