Target.com's Website crashed on Tuesday morning following intense cyber interest created by its sale of Missoni items, an Italian fashion brand known for zigzag knits and bright patterns.

The portal made the items available 6 a.m. of Tuesday. After three hours the website went down, briefly went back online, but crashed again, and remains unavailable.

Target is known for its chic affordable collection of clothes, luggage, housewares and bikes. The price-off caused mayhem among fashion editors and regular Target shoppers.

"Due to an overwhelming amount of traffic to Target.com as a result of the Missoni launch this morning, guests are unable to access the site.... Providing a positive shopping experience to our guests is important to us and we are working to get the site back up as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience," Target said in a statement, which it also posted on Twitter.

Some online shoppers managed to enter the site when it briefly resumed, but got errors when they attempted to make a purchase.

This is not Target's first collaboration with high-end designers. The online store previously worked with Calypso St. Earth and Jean-Paul Gaultier to sell their branded items at lesser costs by using cheaper fabrics.

The Missoni collection that caused the Target website crash includes flats and barrettes, clothes and a patio set in zigzag pattern with a $599.99 price tag. Target sold Missoni items last week in New York City at pop-up stores and the clothes and accessories were all sold out in one night.

Retail observers said that the popularity of lower-priced designer items has gained extreme popularity among thrifty shoppers who want to be fashionable, but not willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for the outfit and accessories.

"At a time when Americans are watching every dollar they spend, the limited-time offerings also are part of a growing strategy by retailers to spur impulse buys by creating a sense of urgency for shoppers to buy," AP wrote.