LOS ANGELES — When top-tier clothiers align with mass-market retailers, there's a potential bonanza for everyone.

Designers are happy with their increased exposure, the stores like the higher-end customers, and consumers like getting luxury labels at pocketbook-friendly prices.

Expectations were high for last Saturday's launch of a limited-edition Jimmy Choo collection at H&M because shoes, the signature of the Choo label, remain an obsession for many stylish women – recession or not.

In previous collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Commes des Carson, shoppers fought over pieces – literally tugging at two ends of the same sweater when Victor & Rolf introduced its H&M line at just 12 locations. H&M has turned budget-conscious designer shopping into a competitive sport.

(There's an undefined line between “cheap” and “budget-conscious,” but starting at $69.95, the Jimmy Choos seem to fall into the latter category, even if a regular pair of Jimmy Choos may sell for more than $1,000.)

The Jimmy Choo collection to be sold at 200 stores includes heels, flats and over-the-knee boots, plus suede and leather dresses, studded bags and animal-print clutches. The men's line is built around slim jackets, boots, cashmere sweaters and casual pants.

H&M has a store at Glenbrook Square, but an employee there said they do not have the Jimmy Choo line at that store.

H&M “wanted to surprise the customers with something new and different,” said creative adviser Margareta van den Bosch.

Jimmy Choo founder and president Tamara Mellon said her aim in bringing the brand to H&M was to expand its reach.

Whether it's a permanent partnership – Vera Wang's line at Kohl's or Charlotte Ronson's at JC Penney, for example – or the fleeting-delight strategy at H&M, these collaborations build buzz for stores and designers. But how do they build sales?

“It's added value,” said Sharon Graubard, a trend analyst with the fashion-watch firm Stylesight. “But not … because it's reversible or it's got a zipper and a snap. It's added value through aesthetics, and aesthetics are what drives purchases.”

Wang's Simply Vera line at Kohl's does attract both discount and designer shoppers, said senior executive vice president Don Brennan. Available year-round, it includes women's clothing, shoes and accessories, plus bedding and bath towels. Wang's designs for Kohl's aren't as edgy as her runway designs, but there's a trade-off in price, too: hundreds of dollars vs. $46.99.

Making a designer line part of a retailer's everyday offerings helps customers build their wardrobes, Graubard said. Shoppers come back again and again to add to their collections.

Designer pieces are always “aspirational items,” Graubard said, at mass-market retailers or on Madison Avenue. “It's part of the guilty pleasure.”