The high street collaborations that sell for double their original prices

Back in November 2004, a new type of fashion event changed the way we shop. Karl Lagerfeld’s new collection for H&M went on sale, making him the first globally known luxury designer to launch a high street line. The mass crowds, duly, went wild for it.

Two decades later, and the high street x designer collaboration model is commonplace but it hasn’t lost its buzz. This autumn has delivered multiple hot-ticket pairings; Bella Freud’s Marks & Spencer line almost entirely sold out in 24 hours, while Zara’s imminent Kate Moss partywear capsule is expected to follow the popularity of her legendary 2000s Topshop collections.

It really all began with H&M. Although Topshop had already started working with up-and-coming talents, including Christopher Kane and Mary Katrantzou, it was H&M’s pairing with Lagerfeld that took the concept to a new, stratospheric level. The idea of buying catwalk looks at budget-friendly prices was groundbreaking and the notion that an established luxury fashion designer would bring their work to the masses was previously unthinkable. Lagerfeld’s H&M collaboration changed the way we could shop, and launched the idea of ‘high-low’ dressing for all – mixing designer gems and high street finds in every outfit. I wore a dress from Lagerfeld’s collection proudly during my first-ever trip to Paris – it made me feel as if I was part of a world that, as a penniless student, I had previously felt priced out of.

In the years that followed, H&M’s high street collaborations became bigger and buzzier – they turned into huge events that prompted committed fashion fans to camp overnight the evening before the collection went on sale in stores. Versace’s 2011 range sold out in 30 minutes and Prince and Nicki Minaj performed at the New York launch party. So hellbent was boho queen Sienna Miller to snap up a piece of 2013’s Isabel Marant H&M line that she arrived an hour early for the preview.

In the days before online shopping, the queues for these collections were a sight to behold. The high street brand’s offering with Balmain in 2015 drew such a crowd that the police were called. “Balmain was crazy,” remembers H&M creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson. “I remember hosting a launch event in one of our Paris stores and Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing, ended up hiding in a stock room to escape the mayhem.”

This month, H&M celebrates the 20th anniversary of its designer collaborations with a special re-release of pre-loved items. The company’s in-house team trawled second-hand clothing platforms to find the most popular and acclaimed styles from its roster of guest-designer collections, spanning Versace, Balmain, Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney.

“We never thought we’d be doing this for 20 years,” Johansson tells The Telegraph. “We realised there was a big demand for the original styles from our collaborations on second-hand clothing platforms, so we started buying them back. Circularity is important to us; good design never goes out of style and a thoughtfully made piece should have more one than one lifespan. This collection proves that.”

Johansson says the most glamorous, statement-making collections – such as with Roberto Cavalli, or Balmain -– have sold the fastest. “People love glamour and they want to stand out,” she says. “I remember with Cavalli, we were worried that it was too glamorous for Sweden, and that it wouldn’t sell. Swedes don’t often gravitate towards attention-grabbing pieces, but it sold out.”

Today, the industry is saturated with similar collaborations, and it’s not hard to see why. The high street brands earn fashion status based on their association with the luxury label, while the luxury names are afforded a huge distribution network that they might not have access to, plus the opportunity to bring their work – and persona – to the masses. Lagerfeld’s biographer, William Middleton, notably said it was only after his H&M collection that he became an “international superstar”.

Interest in these pairings is yet to wane, and demand for older collaborations is still in full force. Over at eBay, there has been a recent 30 per cent spike in searches for Viktor & Rolf’s H&M line, while Vinted reported in May that some 58,000 people searched for pieces from Kate Moss’ old Topshop collections in the previous 12 months. “You’d have thought shoppers would be tired of these collaborations, but it is interesting to see two creative brands come together to do something that [they] couldn’t have done on their own,” says Johansson. “We learn from each other. It’s a win-win for everyone, including the customers who end up with something special that they can afford to buy. Great design is for everyone.”

Five high street x designer pieces that are still hot now

Kate Moss for Topshop, 2014

Black Marabou feather dress, retail price £140 vs £250 today on eBay

One of the most legendary of high street collaborations, Kate Moss first teamed up with Topshop in 2007. Demand for her now-“vintage” embellished party dresses is yet to diminish – earlier this year resale app Depop reported that searches for the supermodel’s Topshop collections are up 45 per cent month-on-month. The evening dresses and jackets still sell for way above retail price.

Bella Freud for M&S, 2024

Nature merino wool jumper retail price, £89 vs £230 on eBay

Bella Freud’s M&S collection, which launched just last week, largely sold out within 24 hours. Starring the British designer’s signature slogan knitwear and her rock ‘n’ roll-infused tailoring, many styles from the 27-piece offering – particularly the jumpers – are already being sold for up to double their retail price on sites such as Vinted and eBay, much to the frustration of some fans.

Alexa Chung for M&S, 2016

Frances coat retail price, £89, versus £225 today on eBay

When It girl and designer Alexa Chung teamed up with Marks & Spencer to redesign pieces from the retailer’s archive, she took her fashion influence to a new level. The khaki Frances trench coat, particularly, is a timeless piece that lucky buyers can still be spotted wearing now – and pre-loved versions can be found for more than double their original prices on resale sites.

Balmain for H&M, 2015

Gold beaded dress, retail price £399.99 vs £650.00 today on eBay

Balmain’s 2015 collaboration with H&M attracted serious hype and huge crowds. One of the brand’s most successful pairings, the launch reportedly saw shoppers in Seoul queue for over a week before the collection went on sale. In London, the police were called to calm raucous crowds and one woman was said to have been restrained by security as she attempted to climb a display and remove a dress. Its hero-embellished dresses still go for inflated prices on eBay.

Maison Martin Margiela for H&M, 2012

Leather glove bag, retail price £79.99 vs £295 today on eBay

Although Margiela didn’t have the mass appeal claimed by some of H&M’s other guest designers, shoppers responded positively to the wearable versions of its avant-garde concepts. Sarah Jessica Parker and Julianne Moore were among stars to attend the New York launch, all decked in looks from the collection. Today, some accessories reach more than three times the original retail price.