The Balmain x H&M collection went on sale this month, setting off a retail frenzy so violent that it spawned its own hashtag, #Balmania. #

The collection was praised for staying true to the creative director Olivier Rousteing’s heavy, ornate runway looks, if less lauded for its runway-ready price tags. #

When he made his fashion debut in 1945, Pierre Balmain, pictured, was, according to Vogue, “a shy, blond young man ... completely modest about his extraordinary success ... He designs with freshness and excellent taste ... with no resort to extremes.” #

Balmain became known for dressing the prim and proper “Jolie Madame” of Paris. By contrast, neither shy nor modest, Rousteing has become an Internet star, and his collections have garnered more attention for the celebrities wearing them than for “freshness” or “excellent taste.” #

Rousteing’s approach marks a major departure from Balmain’s more demure style. In 2012, he became one of the first luxury-brand designers to embrace Instagram, where he parades his more outlandishly dressed celebrity muses, like Kylie Kardashian, pictured. #

For decades-old fashion houses seeking to stay fresh, so much rides on a creative director’s particular sensibilities. How much should the brand remain faithful to its origins? How much should it move forward? #

H&M doesn’t make money on these collaborations—half of the clothes immediately get resold—but it does reap publicity and the cachet of collaborating with a hot designer, not to mention a wave of new customers willing to spend $500 on a dress. #