Breaking News!! : Jason Wu for Target LAUNCHING 2/5/12!!

Photo: Imaxtree

Target’s style handle on Twitter started dropping not-subtle-enough hints about their next GO design collaborator less than 24 hours ago. (“Clue 1: the new @TargetStyle designer began sketching the future of fashion at 5 years old.”) Target is still dropping hints about their next designer (“#TargetDesigner Clue 5: Senior year of high school in #Paris? Oui, oui. Our next designer has international influence”) but I already know it’s Jason Wu (he sketched and designed on dolls when he was five).

I got word a while back from from a well-placed source that Wu would be Target’s next GO designer. And then Styleite reported yesterday that they, too, knew it was Wu. And now it’s all confirmed in WWD. How’s that for fast fashion news?

Following the more massive and much hyped design collaboration Missoni just did with Target (the 400 piece collection crashed the big box retailer’s web site when it launched on September 13), I’m looking forward to this smaller, hopefully less-frenzied, line from Target. I’m even more excited that it’s Jason Wu who will be designing it. Ever since Wu burst onto the scene after Michelle Obama chose his design to wear on the night of the inauguration in 2009, he’s consistently presented strong collections featuring refined, ladylike designs. They should translate well to mass.

“The exciting thing about this limited edition collection of affordable women’s wear and accessories is that it allows me to reach a wider audience and bring my designs to people who may not have been able to purchase them before,” Wu told WWD. “My collection for Target is chic and wearable. I think women everywhere will enjoy it.”

In terms of what the collection will actually look like, @TargetStyle posted a photo of a print (at right), and Wu told WWD that his collection for Target “features clothes and accessories that are easily convertible from day to evening — sophisticated, feminine dresses, mix-and-match separates and playful accessories all with a bit of charm and dressed-up attitude.” Target’s Twitter also let on that Wu’s current muse for this line is a cat named Milu (pictured below), so, you know, we’re pretty excited about this. No word yet on when the collection will drop but we’re hoping it will be in store in time for the holidays. We’ll keep you posted.