THE SCOUT : ENTERTAINING : Wanders’ holiday touches

Dutch design superstar Marcel Wanders has built some buzz for his first holiday collection for Target. Not everything is a winner, but the porcelain pieces -- some reminiscent of the flowerpot hats that ‘80s pop group Devo wore -- are irresistible, particularly at $14.99 for a large bowl or a set of three smaller bowls. The dishes ($4.99 to $12.99 each) have a granny-ish gold scalloped edge. The glass dinner bell, which doubles as a place card holder, is a winner at $2.99 but looks better in red, silver and gold. At 17 1/2 inches tall, the pillar candles ($19.99 each) will burn up to 60 hours, though they will look as if you ripped them from a staircase railing. The more dainty and shapely tapers ($14.99 a pair) are boxed with ceramic holders -- a nice touch, except they don’t accommodate standard-size candles. For a store near you with the collection in stock, go to www.target.com, search for “Marcel Wanders” and click on “Find it at a Target store.”

-- David A. Keeps