Fast Fashion
H&M teams up with trendy French fashion house for buzzy new collaboration
Just days after getting a ton of publicity when Beyoncé appeared on the streets of New York in a pair of $40 H&M jeans, the fast fashion retailer is making news again. This time the Swedish-based clothing chain is linking up with the chic Paris fashion house Balmain on a limited edition collaboration.
Known for cutting-edge style at wallet-emptying prices (a pair of Balmain jeans retails for $1,200 and up) that pop celebs like Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian favor, the luxury brand promises some unique styles at H&M's rock-bottom rates. Fashion fans got a sneak peek Sunday night when Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing walked the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards with Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn, revealing the first pieces of the collection.
The H&M looks reflect the Balmain aesthetic, with tight fitting draped skirts, chunky metal belts, heavily beaded cardigans, leather draw-string sweats and a two-tone shawl tuxedo jacket.
Rousteing is a big user of social media, with 1.1 million Instagram followers, so he invited fans to use the hashtag #HMBalmaination to describe the new collaboration. It wasn't an immediate trending topic, but it did get a lot of buzz.
The collection will be available November 5 in around 250 H&M stores worldwide and online, with clothing and accessories for both women and men.