What are you wearing?|  The Rip’s Features Editor talks about what’s hot and what’s not

In the fashion world, I’ve noticed a trend of top-notch designers designing for lower-end stores.

One of the world’s greatest fashion legends, Karl Lagerfeld, has designed a 41-piece line called Impulse for Macy’s department store that was released Aug. 31. The fall line features tweed jackets, faux leather pants and sleeveless turtlenecks, sheer long-sleeve collared blouse, fall style floral prints on dresses and tops.

None of the line costs more than $170.

Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, the ever-so-popular socialites, have also launched a 41-piece line that came out Aug. 11.

The collection is called Kardashian Kollection and is designed for the Sears department store.

The line features jumpers, tuxedo dresses, wide-leg trousers, cut-out dreses, lepoard prints, and sequenced blazers

None of their line costs more than $70.

A historic and successful fashion house that’s been around since the 1920’s, Missoni has designed 400 items for Target and will launch Sept. 13.

Missoni not only designed clothes, but also kitchenware and home items.

The entire collection features their iconic retro zigzags on shorts, boots, coats, shirts, headbands, you name it, they’ve got it.

If you don’t have the money to drop on a Chanel blazer that Freja Beha was wearing in the Spring 2011 campaign, then buying Lagerfeld’s designs from Macy’s is pretty awesome.

But why would Lagerfeld, the creative director of Chanel design for Macy’s?

Why would the Kardashians, who own D-A-S-H boutique, design for Sears?

Why would fashion house Missioni design for Target?

Some people think the designers might’ve got bored designing in their own house and wanted a challenge to design something.

Maybe they needed to amp up in sales and needed extra marketing; whatever the reason, there’s a catch.

The catch is, people might think they’re getting a great deal of top-quality clothing for cheap.

Don’t be fooled, expensive clothes are not expensive just because of good design and just because it has the “brand name” but mostly because of the quality of the material.

Chanel is a high-end brand and is expensive because it has all around qualities in the design and materials.

Missoni’s fashion house has the same high quality of expensive material and well-thoughout designs from the best of the best  in the fashion world.

Don’t let their super clever marketing trick you into thinking you’re buying “real” Missoni quality clothes at Target.

Just because it says Missoni on the advertisements doesn’t mean you’re getting all of Missoni.

I’m guessing Missoni isn’t going to be the last designer to design for a low-end store.

I’m sensing that this is a trend that might become increasingly popular with fashion designers if the economy doesn’t rebound soon.

I’m not saying that this trend is bad. I’m just saying you shouldn’t be surprised when your favorite Kardashian jumper starts to fall apart.