(Image source: The New York Times)

BY BRICE SANDER

You're watching multisource business news analysis from Newsy.

Missoni mayhem hits Target. The discount chain’s latest designer collaboration brought out frugal fashionistas, who tore up stores and crashed the company’s website. A Miami Herald writer sets the scene...

“There were surgical strikes on the shoe department. The espresso cup sets vanished. Customers argued over items. There was excitement. There was joy. There were probably tears, but who could tell at the speed at which shoppers flew through the aisles...”

NBC’s Today fashion expert Jill Martin tries to explain the madness.

JILL MARTIN: “Well, it’s never been like this and everyone was buzzing about it. Celebrities to everyone in our office, because I think you see this on the red carpet and everyone knows it when they see it. You see the zig-zag, the colors, the print- so I think for most, it’s unattainable because it’s $600 to $12,000. And then they made most items under $40 so you can get your hands on it. And even people who can get the real thing- celebrities- are tweeting about it because you just want one piece!”
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: “Everyone likes a bargain!”

And the New York Times offers some insight into just how major Missoni is for Target-  

“...the limited-edition fashions were more limited than Target might have wanted … the company said that demand for items was higher than it was on a typical day after Thanksgiving, and that is usually the biggest shopping day of the year.”

So what happens now that Target’s sold out of the line- even though it promised availability through October? An LA Times blogger suggests there’s no need to complain- shoppers should’ve seen this coming.

“...I wonder how much bad feeling consumers will have about this. Target launches these collaborations with much fanfare, but often eager shoppers are disappointed when the wares run out quickly.”

And what about that website crash? CNBC’s Mandy Drury argues-- despite Target’s version of the story- it was a business blunder- and not Missoni madness- that caused the issue.

MANDY DRURY: “It is worth noting- just as a quick sidenote, Chris- that the problems came just three weeks after Target, which had been relying on Amazon’s, um, backing for its website, switched to its own platform. But, Target said the crashing of the site was caused solely by demand for the products."
CHRIS JANSING: “Mmhmm, of course.”

Target says it will replenish stock as soon as possible- just no word on how soon that’ll be.

Transcript by Newsy