Target workers are getting a stylish new way to follow the retailer's dress code.
The company said Tuesday it is offering employees access to a line of apparel in the bullseye's trademark red, designed by style icon Isaac Mizrahi.
Target implemented tighter dress code requirements earlier this summer for store workers as part of new CEO Michael Fiddelke's larger effort to elevate the shopping experience and return the company to growth. The new rules require blue or beige pants, and that tops be primarily Target-shaded red. Social media reaction to the policy change was mixed.
"Dress code is important because we want our team members to be recognizable to our guests," chief stores officer Adrienne Costanzo told Business Insider in an interview ahead of the announcement. "A level of professionalism and how we show up for our guests matters."
The new apparel harkens back to Target's "cheap chic" aesthetic — pioneered by Mizrahi — that earned the brand the "Tar-zhay" moniker.
"Store team members are the heart and soul of Target, and I was thrilled to contribute to their experience in the way I know best," Mizrahi said in a statement to Business Insider.
Starting at $10 before employee discounts, the 16-piece collection joins Target's employee-exclusive workwear line dubbed Collection 186, which refers to the trademark red shade Pantone 186. The limited-edition items are slated to be available on October 5, and some items will not be replenished if they sell out.
Target said the collection includes performance fabric shirts, as well as layers such as track jackets, cardigans, blazers, and vests. Stores already provide basic vests that employees may borrow if they're not wearing an allowed shade of red.
The company said says all items in the 186 assortment are optional for employees, and that dress code compliant clothing may be purchased anywhere.
Costanzo said the collection has something for those who are more focused on performance as well as more fashion-minded employees.
"It's also to create that feeling of a little bit of swagger. Like, this collection's for us, the Target team," she said. "And oh, by the way, someone as great as Isaac has helped influence it."
Costanzo credited Mizrahi for inspiring her to join Target more than 20 years ago.
"Part of the reason that I thought Target was cool enough to come and work after a fashion design degree is because of Isaac Mizrahi," she said.
Mizrahi returned to Target this summer as creative director at large, a role in which he advises on product design and aims to strengthen the company's cultural relevance. Part of his philosophy is the principle that good design should be accessible to all.
"If we're going to be asking our team to elevate the experience, we need to be supporting them to do that," Costanzo said. "I'm really excited about it. I have my eye on a couple pieces."
