A friend living in Tel Aviv just sent me video of the opening of H&M's first Israeli outpost. A description of the scene this morning reads as follows: "at 11 A.M. the doors opened and the crowd stormed into the 2,000-square meter store on the mall's third floor, pushing and trampling anyone and anything in its way, grabbing whatever it could before nothing would remain." Apparently 1,000 or so eager shoppers took to the freshly debuted shop's racks today with a no holds barred approach. And Tel Aviv's not the only global capital that saw a stampede run through its local H&M this week.

If 'stealth wealth' is a new catch phrase for the luxury fashion market (a CNN doc here explains that high-end products are now incorporating inconspicuous references to the lavish, rather than being straightforward about it), then so is 'heritage.' High-fashion brands are attempting to highlight their lineage, from a Louis Vuitton line of wallets called 'heritage, Prada’s recent 708-page book about its history, to Gucci's planning to start a museum in Florence in 2011 for its 90th anniversary. "Consumers want something they can believe in, and heritage is the best anchor that luxury brands have," says WWD.

Just last week images of +J -- Jil Sander's highly anticipated follow up collection to her first for Japanese retailer Uniqlo -- dropped. And now it's Sonia Rykiel's turn. Rykiel's second line for H&M debuts this spring. While her first focused on lingerie and bedroom attire that moonlighted as club gear (e.g. a very glam, floor-length nightgown), this spring it's all about knits. But, thanks to Nitrolicious landing a look book of the entire line, shoppers won't have to wait until warmer weather to preview the goods.

The New York Times profiles H&M's relatively new, very young CEO, Karl-Johan Persson (34), today; the occasion is the fashion mega brand's recent Paris runway show in honor of H&M's lingerie collaboration with designer Sonia Rykiel. But, apparently Rykiel-approved lace undergarments and sleepwear aren't all H&M has up its sleeves. "Next, a Sonia Rykiel knitwear capsule collection will be unveiled on Feb. 20 in 200 select H&M stores," says the NYT. "It will be the first time H&M has allowed a fashion house to carry its collaboration inside a designer’s signature stores." Also in store for the retailer: more of a focus on Germany, the US, Spain, Italy, China and Japan.

H&M continues to roll out covetable collaborations with top-notch designers. Their latest partner in crime: Sonia Rykiel. According to Women's Wear Daily, the Parisian designer (renowned for whimsical, dynamic designs) will create a collection of lingerie for the budget-friendly retailer that'll debut in time for the holiday season. Specifically, "The collection is to be launched Dec. 5 in 1,500 H&M stores worldwide, and also at Rykiel boutiques -- the first time a guest designer for H&M will do so. The French firm counts 44 boutiques worldwide, along with 52 shop-in-shops."

From Bottega Veneta to Sonia Rykiel, a fashion story that's got the serious hues.