Will there be mayhem at H&M? Today, the mega retailer will unleash its Matthew Williamson collection worldwide — its latest designer collaboration, already expected to draw crowds of enthusiastic fashion consumers.
Williamson is the latest designer to create a capsule collection exclusively for the Swedish chain, following such past successes created by Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf, Roberto Cavalli and most recently Comme des Garçons, all of which caused a frenzy with overnight campouts at H&M stores and racks that were picked bare minutes after the stores opened.
In Toronto, the Williamson merchandise will be offered only at the Eaton Centre and Bloor St. W. locations.
But with the economy steeped in a recession, will the H&M magic continue? Will the fashion crowd turn out prepared to power-shop for designs they’ll barely have a chance to see let alone try on? And who is Matthew Williamson anyway?
William is a British designer known for jet-setting clothes in vibrant colours and exotic prints.
He spent several seasons as creative director at Emilio Pucci, a label synonymous with the kaleidoscopic colours and patterns and images of starlets on luxurious vacations. And for H&M his trademark boho deluxe verve continues.
But do enough fashion shoppers in Toronto recognize the cool quotient of the brand?
H&M marketers are banking on it.
“I wanted to create a strong urban collection fused with the brand’s signature symbols and shapes. It’s been fascinating to search back through my archives to isolate the most iconic pieces, then rework them for H&M,” Williamson told British Vogue recently.
His iconic peacock feather motifs? His graphic butterfly prints? You can find it all there in this cheap and chic collection. Even the bold colour blocking looks from his recent collection is present and accounted for in a swank-looking cobalt blue and hot pink tuxedo.
So this week we’ll know if H&M still has the magic touch.
But should you sleep in and miss it all, take heart: the company will be rolling out a second part to this collection on May 14 that will include not only beachwear but also a menswear line — which will be a first from this designer. That, of course, will just make it that much more coveted.
Second collection
Matthew Williamson’s second H&M collection (due out May 14) will be available in 29 stores across Canada, the first time that an H&M designer collection will be on sale in most of its stores.
