Is Cavalli Another Stella for H&M?

So the reviews are coming out following the launch of Roberto Cavalli's collection at H&M yesterday (photo below, from H&M). We've been following the collection as the campaign from H&M's Red Room unfolded last month, and initial reports seem to indicate that things aren't going so well.

While all the blogs and newspapers are reporting that the collection sold out almost instantaneously—not such a surprise, since the hype around these designer collections for H&M has consistently drawn tremendous public interest with the promise of big-name designs at bargain prices (more on that in my essay on such designer/retailer partnerships)—some, like our friends over at Racked have some rather disquieting news to report.

According to the blog, the clothes are little more than "cheap junk!"

"I grabbed a jacket that costs $350 and it looks like something  you'd get at Wet Seal," Racked reports in an update from this morning. "Total crap.  This is really bad. It might be the worst thing I've ever had to experience. I'm shaken."

Uh-oh. This one smacks of that ill-fated Stella McCartney collection, where girls ran back to the store with little dresses that had come undone and buttons that were falling off. Not good news, as I've heard many of those pieces were left, immobile, on sales counters.

Which reminds me, what ever happened to that Madonna collection that debuted in March? I've still yet to see anyone wearing it or hear of anyone that bought one of the pieces. Tips welcome!