The hysteria and eager anticipation surrounding the imminent launch of H&M’s long-awaited collaboration with Versace tomorrow morning got us thinking about the general nature of diffusion lines. Who decides which designers to work with? How do all the collections come together? And more importantly, who does it benefit the most?

We had the opportunity this week to visit the H&M showroom and speak with Emily Scarlett, the company’s communications and press manager for Canada, and we picked her brain about the process of collaborating with a luxury label, from the design process and the clothing construction, to the challenge of translating luxury to a mass market.

H&M’s collaborative process obviously begins with finding a brand to collaborate with. Given the diversity of past collaborators (including Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf, and Comme des Garcons) it is difficult to pin down the exact criteria for selection. However, H&M is a business, and appealing to the consumer, Scarlett explains, is the ultimate goal. “We always want our customers to be surprised by the announcement, but to also be really excited by the announcement,” says Scarlett, who says she’s looking forward to picking up a few of the H&M x Versace pieces herself.

In terms of the company’s most recent collaborator, a diffusion line seemed out of the question to Donatella Versace in 2008, when she was quoted at the New York Times’ “TimesTalk” series as saying that a diffusion line, “would confuse the brand.” Evidently, the designer had a change of heart. “We approached the Versace team, and they were really excited about the opportunity,” explains Scarlett. “Being able to reach such a wide audience with your brand I think is a really exciting experience for the designer.” It’s as much about publicity as it is about sales, and the ripple effect of “fast fashion.”

According to Scarlett, all the guest designers essentially enjoy carte blanche during the early stages of the design process. Working closely with the H&M design team, led by creative director Maragareta Van Den Bosch, the designs are only limited by the brand’s ability to source manufacturers to produce the garments.

H&M works exclusively with third-party suppliers, not actually owning any factories. This actually assists in keeping costs minimal as it is proportionately cheaper (and more profitable) to produce tens of thousands of garments compared to the comparatively small volume of product produced by high-end luxury operations.

Regardless of the price point, it is the palpable sense of hysteria surrounding these releases which makes them so wildly successful, with some waiting in line overnight just to take home a few coveted pieces when the doors open in the morning. “I’m so excited for Saturday,” Scarlett admits; “a little scared, but excited.”

With the collection likely to sell out immediately in stores on Saturday (and subsequently reappear on eBay at triple the retail price), H&M is not likely to stop collaborating anytime soon. “As long as our customers love it, we’re going to keep on trying to deliver these collaborations,” Scarlett says. You can bet plenty of people will be eagerly waiting to see what the company has up their sleeve next. In the meantime, the Versace for H&M collection will be available in select H&M stores worldwide beginning at 10am tomorrow morning.

- James Lavapie

Thinking of picking up a few pieces from the new Lanvin x H&M collaboration? The line hits select H&M stores across North America tomorrow morning, and store managers have been told to expect long lineups starting as early as tonight. What can shoppers expect? Only a handful of people will be let into the store at a time, and priority will depend on your spot in line. Wristbands will be given out to ensure that you stay within your specified group. As for once you get inside, H&M tells us that shoppers will be limited to two of each piece, to prevent overzealous eBay-ers from grabbing all the stock in one fell swoop (because you KNOW that happened at the Stella McCartney x H&M launch we went to in New York a few years ago…)

Ready to shop? Read on for the full list of locations in North America stocking the Lanvin x H&M collection tomorrow morning. Oh, and good luck!

Lanvin for H&M available from November 20th in the following stores in the U.S.:
Arizona
7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, Scottsdale

California
8500 Beverly Blvd. Beverly Center, Beverly Hills
8580 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Westfield Century City, Los Angeles
333 Bristol Street, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa
891 Americana Way-­‐ Americana at Glendale, Glendale
7070 Friars Road, Fashion Valley Mall, San Diego
150 Powell Street, San Francisco

Florida
8001 South Orange Blossom Trail, Florida Mall, Orlando
3010 PGB Blvd. The Gardens Mall, West Palm Beach

Georgia
231 18th Street, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

Illinois
840 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago

Massachusetts
100 Newbury Street, Boston

New York
505 Fifth Avenue @ 51st Street
731 Lexington Ave @59th Street
1328 Broadway @ 34th Street
515 Broadway @ Broome Street
150 East 86th Street @Lexington Avenue
435 Seventh Avenue @ 34th Street

Ohio
140 Easton Town Center, Easton

Oregon
340 SW Morrison Street Pioneer Place, Portland

Washington
520 Pike Street, Seattle

Washington, D.C.
1025 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.

Lanvin for H&M available from November 20th at 8am in the following stores in Canada:
Toronto Eaton Centre: 1 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Bloor Street West: 13-15 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Yorkdale Mall: 3401 Dufferin Street, Toronto
Peel/St.Catherine: 1100 St.Catherine Street, Montreal
Pacific Centre: 609 Granville Street, Vancouver

We got a chance to stop by the H&M office today to check out their new collection for spring 2010, and believe me when I say there was a lot to like! But while we’ll have to wait a few more months to see those pieces on the racks, the anticipation is building for this Saturday’s launch of the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection. The collection — the latest in H&M’s designer collaborations — will be unveiled on November 14th in approximately 200 H&M stores worldwide.

While the covet-worthy shoes and elegant accessories that have made Jimmy Choo a must-have for fashionable women everywhere will be the heart of the collection, there are also some great anchoring pieces to love. For the first time, Jimmy Choo is introducing glamorous dresses, jackets and layering pieces as well. And it’s not all animal prints and sex-bomb shapes either. We love the classic look of the heather grey dress (above), and we know a ton of girls who will be fighting to get their hands on the leather leggings. In another first, Jimmy Choo has also designed men’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories to compliment the women’s line. And judging by the leather jacket and trim suiting look in the photos below, we wouldn’t be surprised if the menswear sold out just as quickly.

- TC