Starbucks & Alice + Olivia

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When I saw the newest collab, Starbucks and Alice + Olivia's adorable tutu mug, my heart skipped a beat.  I don't own any Alice + Olivia, but I love it!  And I love coffee!  I'm in love!  And just as I reached for my coat and shoes to dash to the nearest Starbucks, a thought hit me:

I have certainly been one to lust over an item far beyond my paygrade for weeks on end, fantasizing about the moment of acquisition.  Fireworks!  Earthquakes!  Swirling colors and lights!  Glitter cannons! 

... So what happens when those items we so dearly fantasized about become -- earthly?  Consumable?  Attainable?  Gone is the period of frustrated longing and daydreaming and romanticized doodle-on-your-notebook mystification.  All you have to do is run to Target and throw it on the conveyor belt, next to the kitty litter and OJ that you remembered you needed.  Seeing your limited edition Marc Jacobs scarf glide past the sticks of gum isn't exactly the dramatic unveiling you pictured. 

Everyone likes to look nice for a fair price.  It may just be that we are in a time of transition.  Just like I doubt that your last pair of shoes was purchased from a dapper salesperson, helping you on and off with the latest and greatest; buying your kicks from a jumbled heap at The Rack has become more and more the norm.   However, mode of acquisition aside, they are still some great shoes, and no one who sees them cares about the fantasy you cooked up before you got them.

End result?  We still love getting stuff cheap.  You know what happens when corporate megaliths decide to merge forces?  We still win.  This trend of big-time linkups has been in full stride, what with Target's designer palooza last year and H&M's current Isabel Marant partnership.  You got me, marketing! 

And, rant aside, I wouldn't be shocked if the little tutu'd gem found its way to my desk sometime soon.