Ask even the least style savvy soul the difference between a high street fashion item and a designer couture piece and they’ll be able to tell you: first, price tag; second, quality; and third, exclusivity. But now there’s another category that’s blurring the lines. The result of the increasingly popular collaboration between high fashion houses and high street chains – think celebrity designers for H&M, Justin Timberlake for Target and Valentino for GAP – this new category sits right in the middle, seemingly benefitting all parties involved. Is this really the case?

It’s obvious from the queues that form – sometimes overnight – when a new collaborative line launches what the high street stores stand to gain from these collaborations: feet in the door. “H&M is the most prominent example of this type of collaboration, with designers including Stella McCartney, Sonia Rykiel, Jimmy Choo, Comme Des Garcons, Matthew Williamson and Roberto Cavalli having worked with them,” says Jill Telford, CEO of Synovate UK. “Other stores are following suit, seeing the frenzied reaction and buzz that this creates for them. Not to mention the sales numbers! I can totally see why stores are doing this – I just don’t know why they don’t do it more.”

But what’s in it for the high fashion houses? Sure, it widens their consumer base, allowing customers for whom names such as Giles Deacon (for New Look) and Philip Treacy (for Debenhams) belong to the realm of Sex and the City, the chance to become acquainted with the brands. However, do the brands risk losing their chic edge?

“Not in my opinion,” says Telford. “Provided it’s an occasional foray into the mass market to boost PR, these collaborations are probably good for most high fashion brands, although I don’t see ultra classic brands like Chanel or Christian Dior doing this. Personally, I think that would be a step too far.”

With both high street chains and high fashion brands benefitting, is the lowly consumer the one being hoodwinked by Choo-good-to-be-true deals? H&M shoes are roughly US$40 a pair. Jimmy Choo’s fabled footwear usually fetches at least 20 times more. So when H&M announced this collaboration in 2009, hordes hot-footed it to H&M stores. But, were they buying a real designer product or simply a high street item with a raised price tag?

“I think everyone expects the quality to be different,” says Telford. “Hand finishes and attention to detail such as buttons, cutting and seams, never mind the fabric, will not be anywhere close to being in the same league. I think what they are buying is a bit of a treat at a reasonable price – something that is better designed than normal, and holds the cachet of a recognisable, high status name.”

H&M claimed, when announcing its recent collaboration with French fashion house Lanvin: “This shows well that fashion and quality are not a matter of price.” Does this then beg the question that designer fashion is overpriced?

Telford emphatically disagrees: “I believe that fashion, and particularly quality, are definitely correlated with price. You do get what you pay for. My favourite jacket is a 10-year-old Chanel and nothing can match it.”

So, when you’re buying a GAP hoodie sweatshirt by Valentino, you’re paying a bit extra for Chiuri and Piccioli’s expert design input and still getting an affordable, GAP quality item of clothing. A designer wardrobe for little more than the price of a high street one? You certainly won’t hear any consumers complaining about that. 

So it seems that no one’s being hoodwinked and no one’s missing out when it comes to high street/high fashion collaborations. As Telford puts it, “There’s no cynical angle really. It’s simply a fun trend.”