Despite the fact that Target is headquartered out of Minneapolis, it’s not every day that one of our own gets to play the role of brand-name designer collaborator. The brand in question: Wit & Delight, a lifestyle blog helmed by Minneapolis graphic designer and marketing, branding, and social media pro Kate Arends. Since being established in 2009, the Wit & Delight has expanded to become much more than just a blog–it’s a small brand design firm, and include contributions spanning food, arts, culture, style, floral design, and photography from a staff of six. W&D is the second in a series of three party product lines designed by popular blogs spanning the country and produced exclusively for Target, each of which was said to be tapped for their broad, devoted Pinterest followings.
[Related: Wit & Delight for Target in our September 2014 issue]
Arends & co. celebrated last night at North Loop’s 514 Studios with a party that brought the product line to life, demonstrating the party potential of the collection. Accordingly, the resulting products created by Arends look like pieces straight off her Pinterest page–graphic printed kitchen towels, charming turns of phrase (as in a set of napkins that reads “Half Full” on one corner and “Half Empty” on the other), and geometric candles, platters, potters, and votives. And in a nod to the Twin Cities’ current love affair of all things craft beer, it also includes sleek, chalkboard-surfaced beer buckets with wood handles, elegant beer glasses, and growlers (which can double as flower vases, as demonstrated at last night’s launch party.) The party was complete with a lively set from local folk band We Are the Willows, cheese plates and a dessert bar, and of course, plenty of beer to wash it all down.
“This collection is really about bringing people together over the simple things. I love the balance of things that are elegant and then also things that are very easy and effortless,” Arends says in a video on the Target site’s splash page. I’d say she nailed it.
Wit & Delight for Target launches this Sunday, September 14 at all Target stores and target.com.
Here’s a closer look at some of the products:
Wit & Delight for Target cork coasters, beer glass and bottle opener
Wit & Delight for Target growler
Wit & Delight for Target towels
Wit & Delight for Target ceramic planters
Wit & Delight for Target beer tasting set
Wit & Delight for Target ceramic trays
Wit & Delight for Target chalkboard-painted ice bucket
[Party photos by Jahna Peloquin / product photos courtesy Target]
