Meet the Target employee who left after 11 years and now has a clothing line at the same company

After working for Target for more than ten years, Jeneé Naylor has returned to the company as its latest partner for its Future Collective brand. Now a fashion expert instead of an employee, Naylor started working for Target in the Washington, D.C., area in 2012 and, after seven years of hard work and dedication, she ascended to the position of store director.

She said in an interview with Target, “It was at the height of my Target tenure and leading a team of 200-plus team members, where I truly was able to find my voice as a leader and businesswoman.”

Her role, she noted, taught her to be meticulous and to become an expert in the fundamentals of project management, which helped her become a powerful leader. She went on to say that working for the organization helped her develop her strategic thinking, planning, and routine-setting skills, all of which have come in handy in her present role as a content creator and fashion expert.

Naylor recalled that she had always loved fashion and had tried designing sketches while working in retail and high school.

She narrated, “It wasn’t until I was working full-time that I started posting my outfits on social media and gaining traction. Because my Target work schedule was so busy, I would create and batch content during my days off and post them throughout the week. I would get so excited finding amazing deals and helping inspire others. From there, posting on Instagram turned into a website/blog, which eventually turned into a YouTube channel and the rest has been history.”

Today, Naylor is seeing her collection on Target shelves. According to Target, the Future Collective with Jeneé Naylor collection includes over 70 pieces that emphasize uniqueness, come in a variety of sizes, and are reasonably priced, with some as low as $35.

She reflected on how far she had come, saying, “This is such a meaningful, full-circle moment that I’m honestly still processing. From opening and prepping Target stores each season to being the current partner for Target’s Future Collective brand — it’s all such a ‘pinch-me’ moment! I hope to inspire someone to go after their dreams and chase that thing in the pit of their stomach telling them to keep going. It’ll all pay off in the end.”

In 2022, Target introduced Future Collective, an in-house ready-to-wear label/brand designed in collaboration with a rotating crew of style influencers. It was part of its efforts to expand its growing fashion business.

In 2022, the global fashion industry was estimated to be worth $1.7 trillion. By 2027, the market is expected to expand by 1.96%.