After tapping late icons Karl Lagerfeld and Alber Elbaz to cult-favorite names Simone Rocha and Isabel Marant, H&M’s guest designer initiative changed the game of luxury fashion when it kicked off its first collaboration — with the Chanel creative director — in 2004.
The Sweden-based fast-fashion retailer is celebrating 20 years of collabs with the re-release of pre-loved pieces from some of its best guest designer collections, which arrive online at HM.com on Thursday, Oct. 31. (Select items already landed at H&M’s brick-and-mortar stores across Europe and in New York from Oct. 24 to 30.)
The limited edit includes iconic pieces from past collections with Lagerfeld (2004), Stella McCartney (2005), Viktor & Rolf (2006), Roberto Cavalli (2007), Comme des Garçons by Rei Kawakubo (2008), Matthew Williamson (spring 2009), Jimmy Choo (fall 2009), Sonia Rykiel (spring 2010), Lanvin (fall 2010), Versace (2011), Marni (spring 2012), Maison Martin Margiela (fall 2012), Isabel Marant (2013), Alexander Wang (2014), Balmain (2015), Kenzo (2016), Erdem (2017), Moschino (2018), Giambattista Valli (2019), Simone Rocha (2021), Mugler (spring 2023) and Rabanne (fall 2023).
H&M hasn’t released pricing for the re-release items, but expect the apparel, accessories and footwear to fall somewhere in their original range from about $20 to $300. One of the priciest garments from past collabs was Balmain’s bead-embellished mini dress at $649, but no word if that particular style will be part of the pre-loved capsule. (Stay tuned for more.)
British fashion journalist Kate Phelan styled the re-release in a campaign that offers a sneak peek of items in the re-release, which will feature decadent tulle dresses from Lanvin and Valli, Rabanne’s shimmering “disco-rama” gowns, a black blazer and knit dress from Balmain, a faux fur coat and floral dress by Erdem, a very Glinda-pink A-line dress and chunky whit sweater by Rocha, Margiela outerwear, an LBD and boots from Versace, zebra print Jimmy Choo heels, a neoprene sweater from Wang and more.
H&M’s guest designer collections will be re-released online at HM.com on Oct. 31.
H&M
“Our aim was to introduce the world of fashion to consumers globally, while showcasing our connection to strong, thoughtful and original design. It connects to the fundamental ethos of H&M: that quality and creativity should be available for everyone,” explains H&M creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson in a release.
Previous collections were fêted with starry launch parties that drew Kendall Jenner (who revealed the Giambattista Valli collab in Cannes), Sarah Jessica Parker, Selma Blair, Chloë Sevigny, Audrey Tatou, January Jones and others over the years.
See more photos from the re-released H&M designer collab campaign below, and shop them starting Oct. 31 at H&M’s pre-loved archive online.
H&M
H&M
