Putting a new spin on bull’s eye

There appears to be no end to the high-low trend in fashion, with Nine West rolling out affordable collections of clothing and accessories designed by Vivienne Westwood, Thakoon and Sophia Kokosalaki this fall, and Target launching clothing from Paris designer Tara Jarmon next month, the second in the store’s Go International series following Luella Bartley.

Sarah Blakely, the genius who invented those Spanx footless pantyhose that can disguise a month’s worth of caramel frappuccinos, has also climbed aboard the Target train with Assets, an affordable line of body shapers. (Something called the “Better Butt” mobile is chugging through L.A. this weekend to promote them.)

Jaye Hersh, owner of the L.A. boutique Intuition, is putting her own spin on the phenomenon by bringing the cachet of “Tarzhay” to her well-heeled customers. Working with a handful of designers such as Raw 7 Cashmere, Lizzie Scheck Jewelry, J & Co. Jeans and Mighty Fine T-shirts, Hersh has developed a line of clothing and accessories ($25 to $3000) that riffs on Target’s iconic bull’s eye.

The limited edition Target Couture line will be in Hersh’s shop on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles and on her website (www.shopintuition.com) beginning May 12. A launch party will be held the night before at Social Hollywood, with DJ Jake Hoffman (son of Dustin).

“Everyone shops at Target and wears Isaac Mizrahi and Mossimo. I’ve even gone and bought the Luella stuff,” Hersh says. “This line is an extension of that.”

The idea first came to her a year and a half ago. “I asked the people at Target if I could create a line and make the bull’s eye cool,” she says. They agreed, and the symbol appears on the back pocket of jeans, the side of a crystal-encrusted minaudiere, and encircling a skull and crossbones on printed T-shirts.

The line also includes “interpretations of the latest ‘it’ bags,” as Hersh calls them, including a slouchy padlocked purse with a bull’s-eye charm that bears more than a passing resemblance to a Chloe Paddington bag and a canvas tote stamped “Target Couture” reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton Antigua line.

Hersh is treading on familiar territory. After all, it was the Jelly Kelly, that candy-colored rubber “interpretation” of an Hermes Kelly bag, that landed her on the retail map in 2004 and prompted the French leather goods company to file a lawsuit against a U.S. distributor.

“It’s all about having a sense of humor,” she says. “That’s really what my niche is.”

Meanwhile, business is booming at Intuition, which along with Kitson helped usher in the era of celebrity-driven fashion trends, fueled by paparazzo photos and weekly style magazines. So much so that Hersh is expanding into a neighboring space.

“We used to be a local destination and we could tell when it was spring break,” she says. “Now, when the locals are away, we are inundated with tourists from all over the world.”

Turlington’s duds for downward-dog

Los Angeles designer and stylist Magda Berliner has a new role at the helm of Christy Turlington’s Nuala yoga apparel line for Puma.

Last week, the two celebrated their first collection, which lands in Satine and other stores this August, with a tea party at the home of Amanda Goldberg, daughter of film and TV producer Leonard Goldberg.

The collection ($35 to $250) is full of great-looking pieces, even if you are not a yogi. Berliner, known for her use of unusual vintage textiles, especially in pieced-together lace dresses, was able to incorporate more than one of her design signatures into the sportswear line. A V-neck black bamboo Lycra jersey dress has lace insets, while a convertible jacket in an over-washed plum wool comes in one of Berliner’s favorite kimono shapes and can be worn two ways. Full-cut “yogi” pants have a roll-down waist, and Berliner’s version of the mandarin tunic top has a raw-edged collar.

The collaboration came about when Turlington became acquainted with Berliner’s clothes during a photo shoot.

“I appreciate her use of texture and textiles and her ability to mix the feminine and the earthy. And the way she puts clothes together, the fact that she’s a stylist, is a great bonus,” says the former model, who has practiced yoga for 20 years and created the Nuala line in 2000.

Berliner will continue to design under her own name but says she’s interested in staying with Puma long term.

“I prefer to have a challenge. For Nuala, I have very specific perimeters. Activewear has to function and it has to work for a bigger audience.”