Crowds Stomp Versace for H&M Launch…

At 8 a.m. this morning, H&M opened its doors to a seemingly never-ending line of customers waiting to get their hands on the Versace for H&M collaboration line.  If you arrived at the store at 3 a.m. in hopes of snagging a spot in the front of the line, you’d be sadly mistaken as people had been waiting since 3:30 p.m. the previous afternoon.

We arrived at 7:30 a.m. expecting the people at the front of the line to be total fashionistas waiting to claw through anyone in the way of their Versace apparel.  Little did we know the majority of them, who we thought were Versace fans, were actually only trying to make a quick buck by reselling everything they bought.

When the doors opened at 7:55 a.m., the front of the line was more than eager to get inside and grab the pieces they most coveted or would make them the most profit. In the back of the line, however, the excitement was lost and replaced with fear that what you planned on buying would be sold out and never to feel the warmth of your closet.

Even though we didn’t get to see the Versace for H&M display in all its neon and leopard glory, successful shoppers enthusiastically showed off their new clothes to anyone who would take a second look, which everyone did.  Some of the fears about designer collaboration lines are that the designs won’t stay true to the designer and won’t retain the quality one would expect from a high fashion clothing line. Versace for H&M didn’t fall into the caveat.  In glancing at the clothes, they seemed to keep the quality and flamboyance associated with Versace, yet with an H&M price.

Designer collaborations are intended to make high fashion accessible to the masses, while still retaining the exclusivity associated with designer clothing. Unfortunately, the customers who cleared the shelves of the most anticipated pieces didn’t leave the rest of the Versace fans in the line an opportunity to take advantage of this once in a lifetime shopping opportunity unless they want to spend double the price on eBay.  In the wake of other designer collaborations like Missoni for Target, are consumers actually able to take advantage of designer-retail cooperations, or are the clothes ultimately resold to the same people that buy garments off the rack at high end department stores?

-Mark Longacre & Emily O’Neill

Versace for H&M is Coming…

The H&M store on Walnut Street will be blessed by the Versace for H&M collection starting at 8AM Saturday, November 19th, 2011.  Mark your calendars because this event is going to be HUGE!

According to the site, each group of 20 people in line will get a colored wristband (up to 280 people).  Shoppers will be allowed a 15 minute shopping window, and the order in which people are allowed to shop goes according to the color of their wristband.  Wristband holders are only allowed to shop the Versace for H&M women’s collection.  Anyone else who wants to shop the Versace for H&M men’s line, Versace for H&M home collection or regular H&M apparel can do so at their leisure.

Once you’re in H&M and drooling over Donatella’s designs, don’t get ahead of yourself.  Customers are allowed to purchase only two items, so plan wisely.   H&M’s posted the entire selection to its website so shoppers can pick out their favorite pieces for the budget.

I can’t wait to see everyone there, and stay tuned for a detailed review of the line.  Is it going to actually look like Versace, or just a cheap Chinatown knockoff?

Don’t forget:

• Doors open at 8AM.
• You’re only allowed two pieces.
• The Walnut Street H&M is the one with the gold.
• You only need a wristband if you’re shopping the women’s collection.
• PW Style will be attending and documenting the chaos that will ensue.

Don’t Judge Versace for H&M by the Lookbook

The Versace for H&M collection has been receiving mixed press lately.  Some people love the bright colors and bold patterns, while others say its gaudy and over the top.  Last Friday, Abigail wrote about the H&M line, and I agree some of the pictures are pretty scary.  The question is, how often do you dress head to toe in one print?  Unless you’re in Boca in the 1980s, almost never.  With that in mind, some of the pieces in the collection will make an outfit pop.

Almost all my outfits incorporate mostly subdued colors with a splash of something bright to bring everything together, so when I saw the pink Versace suit, I almost died.  I can’t think of anywhere to wear a completely pink suit, but throw on the pink blazer overtop a black dress shirt, white tie, black oxfords and black dress pants and you have the perfect staple piece to go from the office to the club.

I love Donatella’s pink dress shoes because the color makes them an accessory.  Girls have it easy when picking accessories, but it’s a lot harder for guys.  Girls can center their outfit around one piece of jewelry or a hair style, but not all men have that luxury.  As a result, we have to get creative with the pieces we incorporate into our outfits.  The bright pink shoes could be that little splash of color that pulls the outfit together.

Although the Versace for H&M collection has some flashy outfit choices, it also incorporates traditional pieces with a modern spin.  Almost every department store has a line of men’s dress pants, but very few are a slim fit, like those of Donatella’s line.  Even if a store sold similar pieces, the prices would be significantly higher than those of the H&M collection.  For $69.95, I would buy her slim fit dress pants in a heartbeat.

Versace for H&M is an awesome opportunity for people to enjoy high fashion, even on a tight budget.  Being a broke college student, I can’t buy the clothes I want to wear until my birthday and christmas.  Designer collaborations with other stores have allowed me to expand my wardrobe and still buy books.  When the line hits H&M stores, I’m not going to be bragging about my new Versace blazer because I won’t have to.  It’s the same color as my highlighter, and that grabs attention, right?

Versace Is Coming To An H&M Near You

Donatella Versace in a new Versace for H&M design

Versace has been having quite the moment lately.  First, the all-powerful Gaga wears pieces exclusively loaned to her from the late Gianni’s last collection for the house, for her latest video, “Edge of Glory,” and now comes the news that they are bringing their rock-and-roll sensibility to H&M, in a collabo set to launch this Fall.

News of the pairing-up broke yesterday in a video (which has since been removed?) from Donatella herself where she said that the collection will include iconic Versace moments.  Standout pieces of the line, which is slated to include men’s women’s and accessories, are a studded black leather minidress, which Donatella wore recently to close her men’s show in Milan and a sharp tailored blazer for the boys.

Mark your calendars for November 19th, when the clothes will hit 300 H&M stores.  And be sure to check out sneak peeks below!

—Kat Blazowski

Images and video courtesy H&M and Style.com