In Los Angeles, the collection was offered in three stores: Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and Beverly Center in Los Angeles. Lines at the Sunset Plaza location started forming more than two hours before the 10 a.m. opening and extended the length of the storefront. The store beefed up staff from its typical 15 members to 45 to handle the crowds.

Once the doors swung open at the Sunset Plaza store, the Cavalli racks were picked clean. A line extended from the dressing room to the middle of the store as staffers rushed to replenish the goods. All the women's jewelry and long dresses were wiped out by 10:30 a.m.

Mariann Porretta was one of the first to complete her purchases: two bags of tops, underwear, jeans and one sheer leopard-print dress, for just over $500. Paula Malerba, a stay-at-home mom who worked in the fashion industry, said the Cavalli collaboration was one of H&M's best designer efforts. Her only disappointment was that she couldn't buy more because items were sold out.

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg was shopping for her friend, Lydia Hearst, who modeled the Cavalli line for H&M, and requested that Trachtenberg buy her a beaded dress and a fake fur capelet, which didn't appear to be in stock. "I hope she won't be mad at me," Trachtenberg said. For herself, she was eyeing a black trench.

Judy Starkman, who directs commercials and is a jeweler, said she would have spent more if the racks had been more plentiful. But she got a good workout. "I will tell you who the tigers are, they are the shoppers," she said. "I don't have to go to the gym today."

It didn't take Chicago customers long to raid Cavalli's assortment. Within five minutes of the Michigan Avenue store's opening, shoppers had emptied a rack of silk animal-print halter dresses and stripped clothing off the mannequins.

Angelina Kovalenko brought an entourage. Her boyfriend, Scott Rogers, stood away from the fray, his arms overflowing with merchandise, with her friend Kerri Hartmann, who flew in from St. Louis.

"I've been looking forward to this for a couple months," said Kovalenko, who arrived at 8:30 a.m. to find some 40 people already in line. With $2,500 to spend, Kovalenko bought more than 40 items, including multiple dresses, tunics, long sweaters, a corset top and a trench. "I was hoping there would be more pieces," she said. "I was looking for the riding pants from his show."