Hundreds line up on M Street for the release of Balmain for H&M

Last night, hundreds of excited people waited overnight on M street to shop the collaboration of Balmain for H&M, which was released this morning at 8am. 

Street campers queuing up over night for new product releases are not unseen to Georgetown residents. Think iPhone. They cozy up on their portable chairs devouring their huge books, especially when the product launch coincides with midterm season.Or perhaps the books are simply a way to avoid eye contact with the stunned passersby who stop to take photos and document the unusual behavior.

The committed shoppers range from all professions and ages, creating a temporary community that shields itself from the judgmental observers.

This time the weather has been somewhat favorable, with just a mild drizzle to dampen their blankets.

But this time, the queue is stemming from one of the comparatively irrelevant stores of Georgetown, a store that has probably never even dreamt of waking up to a line of customers.

Yes, it is indeed H&M.

In case you missed the hype, the discount retailer debuted a collection of men’s and women’s clothes by the luxury Paris fashion house Balmain, that was made available in 260 H&M stores worldwide starting today at 8am.

The M Street line began to form early on Wednesday morning and stretched out to the WSC entrance by the evening. Security guards monitored the crowd as they prepared for the haunting break of dawn – but the torture of waitingwasn’t over then.

The lucky first 420 customers were each handed a colored bracelet that determined which group they were in. Each group was allowed only 15 minutes of scavenger hunting through the designer-collection area at specified times.

Alternatively, online shopping also posed certain limits – you are restricted to one item per product.Which means, one single size in clothes and shoes, as well as one piece of each accessory. And this is only if you manage to get into the website:

After 24 hours of waiting for the precious goods, the 15-minute hunts often resulted in utter disappointment.

As the DJ blasted techno music through the glass doors at 8am this morning, groups of unhappy customers gathered at the store entrance.

Each clung to at least one black Balmain paper bag, yet, as they examined their products, they looked miserable.

Very few customers were able to purchase what they had lined up for. And many splurged nonetheless, to compensate for the endless wait.

A couple of teenage boys had even split the cost of a women’s purse, for the sake of not leaving empty-handed.

When you are waiting in line for an iPhone release, you will either get it, or you will not.When you line up for a clothing collection release, you have to make rapid decisions among a wide array of options (and fierce competitors).

Overwhelmed by the clutter and the sheer amount of choice, it seems like many customers made unwise, impulsive decisions.

Drained wallets, heavy eye-bags and undesired products is what victors are returning home with.