Key takeaways:
- Target named Isaac Mizrahi its first Creative Director at Large.
- Mizrahi will work alongside Gena Fox, SVP of Design, and will anchor a new mentorship program for Target designers launching this summer.
- Target is the exclusive retail sponsor of “Shop What Happens,” a new shoppable Bravo digital series.
- Target reported Q1 2026 net sales of $25.4 billion, up 6.7%, with digital comparable sales rising 8.9%.
Target is making back-to-back moves to reassert its design credentials, announcing a first-of-its-kind creative leadership role for well-known fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and debuting a shoppable television series with NBCUniversal, the latest signals of a broader turnaround effort under CEO Michael Fiddelke.
Since taking the helm in February, Fiddelke has emphasized Target’s heritage in design, style and value as part of a broader strategy to revive growth.
The early results are encouraging: Target reported a 6.7% increase in net sales for Q1 2026, reaching $25.4 billion, with digital comparable sales up 8.9% and same-day delivery via Target Circle 360 growing more than 27%. But the leadership team has been clear that consistent, long-term performance remains the primary objective, and the work is far from done.
Isaac Mizrahi Returns as Creative Director at Large
Today’s announcements are squarely aimed at the design side of that equation. Target named Mizrahi its first Creative Director at Large, a newly created role in which he will serve as a creative advisor to Target’s internal design organization, mentor design talent, and help strengthen the retailer’s design authority and cultural relevance.
Working alongside Gena Fox, SVP of Design at Target, Mizrahi will advise on new product concepts, design innovation and emerging trends, identify new partnership opportunities, anchor a new mentorship program for Target designers launching this summer and contribute to brand storytelling and purpose-driven collaborations.
The appointment marks Mizrahi’s return to Target, more than two decades after their original partnership began in 2002 and helped establish the high-low designer collaboration model that mass retailers have followed ever since.
“Great design is deeply human — it ignites confidence and joy, and it’s what guests tell us they love about shopping at Target,” said Cara Sylvester, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Target, in a statement. “Isaac has always believed, as we do, that great design should be accessible to everyone. What excites me most is the opportunity to pair his creativity and perspective with the incredible talent we already have inside Target as we shape the next chapter of style and design for our guests.”
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to inspire a brand I care so deeply about,” Mizrahi said in a statement. “My partners at Target and I have always shared the idea that great design should belong to everybody, and Target is poised to be the design authority in a way only Target can.”
Isaac Mizrahi, Target’s new Creative Director at Large. Photo courtesy of Target.
A New Shoppable Series with Bravo
The Mizrahi news comes alongside Target’s announcement that it is the exclusive retail sponsor of “Shop What Happens,” a new shoppable digital series on Bravo. Announced last week by NBCUniversal, the summer-themed weekly series is inspired by the “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” format and transforms Bravo fandom into real-time shopping action.
Bravo celebrities Cynthia Bailey, Ariana Biermann, Lindsay Hubbard, Michelle Saniei and Nia Sanchez join host Daryn Carp for conversations, games, and cultural commentary spanning fashion, entertaining, beauty, travel, swim and seasonal trends, with curated Target products woven throughout.
The series streams on Peacock, YouTube, and TikTok, with clips on Instagram. On the Peacock mobile app and TikTok, content is optimized for vertical video, while QR codes on Peacock’s living-room app and text-to-shop and click-to-shop functionality across other platforms allow viewers to purchase featured Target items directly.
“At Target, we’re continually finding new ways to meet guests where they are, delivering inspiring experiences that make it easy to discover what’s trending,” said Michelle Mesenburg, Chief Brand Officer at Target, in a statement. “By combining trend-forward curation, entertaining content and seamless shopping, we’re making it easier than ever for guests to discover products and trends in a way that feels fun, inspiring and uniquely Target.”
“For a century, NBCUniversal has understood that must-see storytelling captures attention and drives action,” said Karen Kovacs, President of Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal, in a statement. “In partnership with Target, we’re continuing to push the boundaries of shoppable entertainment, meeting audiences where they are and inviting them to engage, explore and shop.”
New episodes drop every Sunday for five weeks, beginning June 14.
