Lanvin at H&M

The latest, and most anticipated, H&M collaboration is with Lanvin’s artistic director Alber Elbaz and Lanvin’s menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver.

H&M’s collaborations have become famous over the last six years since selected H&M stores stocked an exclusive collaboration with Chanel and Fendi designer Karl Lagerfeld. Crowds waited outside the stores and the collection sold out within an hour. Needless to say, it was a success.
A year later was the Stella MacCartney collection that was swiftly followed by a collaboration with the Dutch duo Viktor and Rolf. By this point, H&M could see they had a niche in the market and could market their (already very chic) collections by adding a designer feel of luxury and exclusivity that the High Street was screaming for.

In March 2007, Madonna designed a collection and eight months later, so did Roberto Cavalli. In 2008 it was Comme des Garcons turn, and Matthew Williamson kindly obliged in 2009, with Jimmy Choo supplying the shoes. At the beginning of this year we were provided with a colourful collection from Sonia Rykiel and this November we will see the Lanvin take on H&M.

Alber Elbaz joined Lanvin in 2001 and has since become renowned for his precise cuts, flowing fabrics (not to mention the most amazing dresses) and his uniform of suit and bowtie. Alber Elbaz had this to say about the up and coming collaboration with H&M:

“H&M approached us to collaborate, and see if we could translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a wider audience, not just a dress for less. I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public. This has been an exceptional exercise, where two companies at opposite poles can work together because we share the same philosophy of bringing joy and beauty to men and women around the world.”

This collection will also include menswear- so don’t feel left out boys!
The launch will also see some “wonderful surprises”, even though we’ve already been told one of them which is that the first viewing of the collection will be a ‘special film’ launched on November 2nd. The collection will hit the shops on November 23rd- I’m first in line!