MasstigeWatch!
Pierre Hardy's capsule collection for the Gap has yet to hit the shelves, but already there's another masstige rumor: The Fashion Informer reports that everyone's favorite downtown design collective ThreeAsFour might design a line for the Gap. No details available yet, but stay posted...

Yesterday's Women's Wear Daily [subscription required] was packed with informative articles (on a sad side note, I learned that Active Endeavors has closed all of its Chicago stores to focus on its Internet business). And buried at the very end of this one about very-much-underappreciated designer Richard Chai finally getting major financial backing, was this little chestnut:

Chai's design touch may be found elsewhere next year should he become the next guest designer for Target's Go International initiative. Chai declined to comment.

Let me be the first to say that if this rumor is indeed true (which most of the Target rumors tend to be), I will be so incredibly psyched. Chai makes gorgeously constructed clothes that float about the wearer in an effortlessly chic manner, and while the thought of Target trying to reproduce his draping techniques makes me a bit nervous, if two good pieces come out of the collection, well, that will be enough for me. (If you can't wait, however, Chicago's excellent Jake has several Chai pieces for sale, including this stellar dress, which has been marked way down from its original price of $1795.) I will, of course, report any further details, should they arise.