More than a decade since Target first popularized collaborations between high-end designers and mass retailers, and seven years since H&M introduced a collection with Karl Lagerfeld, there is still allure in the concept of cheap and chic.
Based on news media coverage to date, there is every reason to expect huge crowds and long lines when the Versace clothes go on sale Thursday at international H&M stores (Donatella Versace is to attend the opening in London) and Saturday in the United States. Items from the collection like a cropped baseball jacket with vivid leopard-spotted sleeves, for $129, will undoubtedly sell out, and many of them will then likely reappear on eBay at a higher price. (Actually, that jacket is already there, with an asking price of $179.99.)
Despite concerns that the commonplace appearance of designer names at stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s, Wal-Mart and even Payless ShoeSource would eventually lead to shopper fatigue, such collaborations are proving to be both a reliable business model for retailers and a business in themselves.
And designers, even those who have far less name recognition than Ms. Versace, are finding these collaborations to be increasingly lucrative
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