Hordes of shoppers besieged H&M stores across the globe as Versace's collection for the high street shop went on sale today.
With many shoppers having spent the night queuing on the pavements outside, there were scenes of hysteria at 9am as the eager crowds were finally let in to fill their arms with brightly printed garments from the shelves.
ugg boots on salewomen's classic tall ugg bootsugg fox fur bootsUGG Retro Cargo saleIn Dubai and Beijing where 9am had come and gone, shoppers reported H&M stores selling out of the entire collection in under 30 minutes - with many pieces arriving on ebay moments later.
Donatella Versace herself made an appearance at London's Regent St store to welcome her fans, stepping out of her chauffeur-driven car onto a pink carpet, clad in a nipped-in version of Versace x H&M pink leather dress and a studded leather coat from the range.
In the store, sales assistants dressed in top-to-toe Versace designs attempted to corral the high-spirited shoppers into a second waiting zone, where they would be held until their ten minute shopping slot came round.
Online, H&M's website crashed under the demand as thousands tried to log on simultaneously. A spokesperson for the store took to Twitter to apologise for 'technical problems', saying they were 'working hard to solve them. '
In the melée, rogue shoppers who had jumped the queue attempted to grab items from over the fence, but dozens of extra security guards and shop assistants made sure no attempt at queue-jumping was successful.
The first shoppers through the door frantically tore clothes from shelves and rails, loading their arms with dresses, jackets and accessories while security guards counted down the minutes - in some stores, blowing a whistle to let shoppers know their time slot was up.
But many - especially male shoppers - were left disappointed when they found much of the men's collection that had been previewed was not to be found in the store.
One London student, Alan Murrell, 21, was first in line at the Kensington branch of H&M, having arrived with girlfriend Laura Scott, 21, at 10pm last night.
But he was not able to buy the pieces he had earmarked online ahead of the opening day.
'There were none of the suits that showed on the catwalk, and very few jackets, ' he said this morning.
'I got a few T-shirts, but that was all. '
Genuine Versace fans in the queue also reported their dismay at the number of those waiting already making plans to sell their booty on auction site ebay.
Many in the queue brought along laptops and were charting the prices of the Versace for H&M collection on ebay.
Rules were in place to prevent a reoccurrence of the issues experienced on previous celebrity collaboration opening days, where fights broke out in the hysterical crush and opportunistic ebay sellers arrived in their droves to empty entire racks of identical items into huge laundry bags that they sold at vastly inflated prices that same day.
This time around, H&M in the uk made sure everything was well organised, with wristbands allowing pre-allotted 10 minute time slots and limits on the number of items each shopper could buy, with only one item in each size permitted to each shopper.
The same rules did not apply elsewhere, however, and shoppers in Dubai and Beijing reported queuing for nearly 24 hours ahead of the collection's release but still being disappointed when the first few through the doors cleaned the shelves.
A disappointed shopper who had queued outside the Dubai store told MailOnline that a ten minute, invite-only VIP preview meant that by the time regular shoppers were allowed in, most of the best items were gone.
With no limits in place, the rest of the items were cleared from the rails in multiples by the first swathe of shoppers - many of which were clearly to be sold on later - leaving the shelves bare in under an hour.
It is the latest in a long line of collaborations that has seen H&M partner with Lanvin, Madonna and Jimmy Choo, and has been heavily promoted since it was announced this autumn.
The collection, which starts at £19. 99 for jewellery going up to £199. 99 for a leather jacket, was launched in a glittering fashion show held in New York's Meatpacking District last week, and saw Lady Gaga, Blake Lively, Jessica Alba and Prince attend, all clad in items from the label.
Of the collection, Donatella Versace said: 'The collection will be quintessential Versace, perfect for H&M and Versace fans everywhere. '
'For the collaboration we've brought back from the archives, as well as from more recent collections, some of the icons of Versace, such as the bright prints, the Greek key and daring cuts.
'I can't wait to see how H&M's wide audience will make these pieces their own. '
The Swedish fashion outlet has high hopes for this collection, with H&M's Creative Advisor Margareta van den Bosch saying: 'Versace’s collection for H&M is a moment in fashion.
'It is full of strong pieces that stand out, with colours, prints and cuts that are clean and precise.
'The women’s collection is flattering and full of dresses, while the men’s collection is very sophisticated.
'When I think about Versace I think of iconic items. With this collection for H&M we’ve got the essence of Versace. ’
