Inside: Anna Sui for Target Pop-Up

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Anna Sui for Target Press Preview today before the doors open to the public tomorrow at the Target Pop-Up Shop on 54 Crosby Street.

The pop-up store was actually really nice inside. I love the antique, slightly gothic/exotic aesthetic that made me feel like I was peering in someone's apartment. There were models hanging out and reading dressed as each of the four characters from Gossip Girl. I got a chance to browse the collection close up and try on samples!

The set up was interesting and the journey starts downstairs with clothes in the style of Vanessa and then Jenny. There were definitely so many details to the clothing that I had never noticed before.

The Vanessa collection was warm oranges and browns with hits of Gold. It included velvet burnout, tweeds and clip jacquards. Although I loved many of the pieces, they didn't feel quite me, so I tried on the Ruffle blouse that was slightly sheer. The fabric because of the metallic felt slightly scratchy and was unfortunately slightly tight around the waist, so I passed.

The Jenny Collection had more of a rocker girl edge with a bit of polish.

I loved this Tunic top with crochet & mesh inserts, it really felt signature Sui, but the sleeves were a bit on the long side and I felt like I was slightly too short to get away with this. Also the buttons were a bit hard for me to undo.

The printed dress I tried on was super cute, although I didn't realize at first it was a wrap and I had a bit of a hard time figuring out how to get it on. Once I figured it out it wasn't a real problem but the cut was really low.

The holey leggings were fun but a bit hard to get into without them bunching funny. (pictured below w/ the Blair outfit)

The next dress I tried on was super Anna Sui! It was alot of fun and the neck was higher up. I liked it a lot better in person than online.

Surprisingly one of my fave looks for wearability turned out to be Serena collection. I was surprised because Serena is definitely not my fave character on the show! The window pane dress was a flannel twill that had mesh overlay, velvet trim and studs. The bust is slightly roomier than most Target collab dresses I've tried on.

This baroque print blouse was a winner for me and I forked over some of my clothing budget to bring it home :) It's poly georgette, so not the best handfeel, but it's poly georgette so it won't really fade or die in a machine wash. The slightly longer length should work well with my sequin leggings! It covers just enough butt to feel comfortable.

This dress wasn't really for me but the sequined neck was really pretty. It looked great on some other girls I saw trying it on!

Blair being my fave character from the show, I couldn't wait to try on the dresses! I really did love this lace look, it has a nude lining inside and the lace looks more antique than I thought. The lace almost appears like a paper doily that has slightly singed edges (I liked it!). The sleeves feel a bit snug, although there is plenty of room in the body. Like most Target items, the length is on the shorter side, but I don't mind because I'm short and it stops the dress from being frumpy!

I tried on this printed dress with Elastic belt and felt like I thought it looked really cute in the mirror, but wasn't sure about it on myself because I felt a little bit like I was wearing pj's? The belt was a nice touch and is super stretchy (perhaps good for those like me who can't stand tight things around the stomach).

At the end of my shopping trip I got an amazing surprise. I ran into the super fab and super iconic designer Anna Sui! She looked just like how I always thought she would with blunt cut bangs and cat eye makeup. She looked great wearing an embroidered blouse of I'm sure her own design.

I got the chance to speak with her super quickly and asked to snap a photo, that her publicist tried to stop, but Anna kindly grabbed the camera and said, "Real quick, real quick" and totally made my night by passing my camera to the publicist and taking a shot with me. So sweet :)

Last but definitely not least, I managed to catch Jessica Szohr on her way out of the event and caught a snapshot she quickly posed for. She was way taller, skinnier and prettier in real life than on the show! She looked really great :)

If you didn't see the looks before, click here to see all the Anna Sui for Target outfits.