Balmain For H&M Collection Crashes Store's Site Minutes After Launch, Sells Out At Locations Nationwide

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — The Balmain for H&M collection sold out within hours at many stores across the country and the Southland.

Video posted to Instagram showed shoppers running through an H&M store to buy sought-after pieces from the much-anticipated collaboration with the luxury brand.

It even caused a stampede at the doors of another store, according to footage, which showed shoppers grabbing items off racks in bulk. There were even adults fighting over clothing in the fitting room.

"Everything was sold out when I went. Everything was sold out," Leone Clark, who lined up outside the H&M at the Third Street Promenade.

He only managed to get hold of a cotton tank top and a suede clutch.

"It pretty much was like almost depressing. It was bittersweet because we were happy that there were some items left, but then the better items were all sold-out," Clark said.

At that location, all that was left as of Thursday afternoon were the Balmain signs. Even the mannequins were taken down as almost all of the clothing sold-out in under an hour.

Eager shoppers began lining up on Wednesday and camping outside stores overnight.

The madness, though, wasn't exclusive to the stores as the retailer's website crashed just minutes after the worldwide launch.

Frustrated shoppers took to social media to vent. One person wrote: "Giving up on HM and #HMBALMAINATION. The beaded jacket is all sold out, the phone lines can't issue purchases and the site is a mess."

The collaboration offered items ranging in price from a $30 T-shirt to a $500 beaded dress. While much pricier than the average item at H&M, it is still far lower than the couture line.

Balmain is known for dressing celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kayne West.

When asked if he thought it was worth it, Clark said: "It all comes down to branding and if you are enthused by that brand, I don't see why not."

Meanwhile, some of the pieces purchased have already ended up online. A Balmain H&M dress, for instance, was selling for $1,600 on eBay and a beaded jacket listed for $5,000.