Tabitha Brown‘s smile can light up a room. It can make a person in a not so great mood perk up. It can make you excited about anything she’s talking about. And as we conversed over Zoom, I couldn’t help but smile back because the social media personality, actress and entrepreneur is living a dream she didn’t even have, and she couldn’t be more excited about it.
The dream come to fruition? Target is partnering with the inspirational influencer for an ongoing collaboration to launch, starting in June, four limited-time-only collections that span apparel, swim wear and accessories, home and office, food and kitchenware, entertaining and more. Brown has been collaborating with the brand for two years doing social content, and they were such fans of her they decided they wanted to do something bigger with her.
“At Target, bringing joy to our guests is at the heart of everything we do. Tabitha Brown is known for being a beacon of positivity, making her the perfect partner to help Target continue providing inspirational, inclusive and affordable style for all,” says Jill Sando, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Target. “We’ve had the pleasure of working with Tabitha for a number of years
and are thrilled to take our relationship to the next level by partnering with her to introduce new limited time collections that we know guests will love.”
The very first launch is the apparel, accessories and swim gear, just in time for summer. Beginning June 11, 75 items will be available on Target.com and in Target stores. And if you thought, “Tab is doing fashion?” you should know this isn’t new territory for her.
“I’ve always loved fashion. I started making clothes in high school. I went to school for fashion design originally,” she says. She left her schooling once she was bit by the acting bug, promising her father that she would make good on her original plans.
“‘When I’m famous one day, daddy, I’ll have a fashion line,'” she recalls saying. “That’s what I told him. And the day has come.”
The collection is filled with bright hues and bold, fun patterns with pieces ranging in sizes XXS to 4X. During our conversation, Brown wore a bright blue top that could double, or triple that is, as a dress for lunch, a tunic top over jeans or a coverup for the pool. It’s covered in a whimsical print and has a light and airy fit that works perfectly with her vibe.
“For me, I always like to dress how I want to feel,” she says. “Because some days you get up and you may not feel the best, but you want to feel better. So my mom used to say, ‘Girl, get dressed up, put on your colors and your patterns and things.’ And that’s why I have tons of color, tons of patterns [in the collection].”
Her hope is that through the first offerings, people will “feel bright, feel alive, feel colorful, because that’s me.” And because Brown is just like the rest of us, she made sure to add touches to her line that could make it accessible and comfortable for all. That includes putting pockets on every dress, equipping every waist with elastic for stretch, and adding a button or elastic to the bottom of sleeves to make sure they fit every arm, which was inspired by the shopping struggles of women in her family. All these small details are meant to make a big difference in how shoppers feel in her clothes. And you can feel even more confident and cozy when you look good and don’t have to break the bank to do so.
“Most items are under $30. No more than $44,” she says. “The accessories, I call my hair Donna. So we got earrings that are in the shape of me and Donna. We have broaches. We have colorful earrings, as everybody knows I love big colorful earrings as well. We have beach bags. We have little evening clutches that you can take whether to brunch or to dinner. We even got beach towels that match your bathing suits, because I got beautiful bathing suits with tons of color. And yeah, girl, it’s about to be a good summer.”
And this is just the beginning. As mentioned, the first collection is clothing, but as the year goes on, she will be rolling out things for every corner of your home, from closet to living room to kitchen and more. To see her work in one of her favorite places to shop fills Brown with the ultimate gratitude.
“I was crying this morning,” she says, overjoyed. “I just feel chosen. God, I answered the call. That’s how I feel about it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, been in entertainment, I’ve worked with a lot of people. I’ve never had a partner who sees me the way that Target sees me. The way they allow me to be: ‘Whatever Tab say, honey, that’s what it is.'”
“They hear me, they make me feel loved. They make me feel like family, and it just felt so right. It literally felt like a reunion,” Brown adds. “Every meeting, every time we are in the room together, it feels like old friends, family, and it’s a blessing. It’s a blessing.”
You can learn more about the collection over at Target.com and check out a few of our favorite pieces we’re looking forward to buying below. They’re modeled by Brown, her daughter Choyce, her sister Tasha and more beautiful ladies!
