Who doesn’t love a good deal? That’s what major designers must have been thinking when they started partnering with discount retailers to offer “capsule collections” at low prices to the masses. These high fashion lines at affordable prices have become the most popular clothing collections for the style savvy that are short on spare change. The Marni Collection for H&M sold out from stores in hours this March, while the Missoni for Target line crashed the store’s website with record breaking sales during Fall Fashion Week last year. These popular lines have been causing a stir in department stores and discount retailers for years, but some fashion lovers are starting to question how similar the low-price products really are to their designer counterparts.
Capsule collections, aimed to highlight popular fashion designers in the mainstream, are part of a long line of collaborations that discount retailers have embarked on. Target has showcased lines by Jean Paul Gaultier, Zac Posenhas, and has an ongoing relationship with designer Michael Graves. Similar stores are getting in on the action of this idea too. Kohls released a line by Jennifer Lopez, Sears unveiled a Kardashian Collection, and H&M offered a limited run of Versache dresses and accessories last winter. These less expensive versions of high-end apparel seem to be the latest trend for thrifty shoppers, but the low-prices are becoming noticeably relative to low-quality.