Swedish retail giant H&M is now on its 16th designer collaboration since it began the much-anticipated fashion event 12 years ago. From Comme des Garçons to Lanvin to Maison Martin Margiela to Versace, they’ve partnered with almost every iconic fashion house you could imagine. Last year’s megawatt partnership with Balmain led by designer Olivier Rousteing (with a little help from his gal pals Kendall and Gigi) proved to be hard to top — from its all-star cast launch to sold-out merchandise — it broke records and is now H&M’s best-performing designer collection to date.
Last week in New York City was the runway debut of this year’s collaboration with Kenzo, the first brand from the LVMH umbrella to expand its reach to H&M’s millions upon millions of customers. Founded in the ’70s, the Parisian house was created by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada, a visionary for bringing together different cultures, influences, design elements, couture to street wear, and put it in a way that is super accessible and fun — it brought the experience and the excitement of fashion to the people. During his time, he was not only the Japanese designer, but also the only Asian designer to really break into the Parisian fashion scene. Currently, the brand is under the helm of Opening Ceremony’s founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim who took over the positions as creative directors and chief designers in 2011.
Both Lim and Leon are considered fans of the H&M designer collaborations since it started in 2004. “I think when that happened, it was really the first of its kind. I think it really broke a lot of rules, which was super exciting. Carol and I were the first to really be in line waiting. I still to this day own my suit from the Karl Lagerfeld collaboration, my dress shirt, my jeans, all these things that I just felt like was a really exciting opportunity to buy something truly, truly unique in that moment. Since then, even all the other collaborations, we own a piece of all the different parts of it,” says Humberto.
The Kenxo x H&M collection was almost two years in the making. “We obviously are very well-versed in the archives of what Kenzo Takada created. It felt like a great opportunity to give not only the H&M customers a chance at getting a collectible, but also the Kenzo customers, they’re familiar with the brand from when it started, these iconic pieces he created, we thought it was a great time to be able to bring that into a collection,” shares Carol Lim about the collaboration. “What the outcome of this partnership is a true conversation where we actually took original archival pieces from the ‘70s and the early ‘80s and decided to obviously take a look at those pieces, how can we modernize it, have both our works almost marry each other,” Humberto Leon adds.
The result: A chock-full of threads boasting the eccentric brand’s iconic prints, bright colored hues and maximalist aesthetic. The 113-piece collection, the most number of items the designer collaborations has ever had, is an assortment of textures, exaggerated silhouettes and contrasting patterns. “I feel like we’ve always seen the Kenzo brand as youthful in spirit. So it’s almost an ageless expression. It’s really for somebody who is just excited about fashion. I think there are different levels of excitement. You could be really be fashion forward and excited or you could also just be somewhat conservative and want something easy with a nice print,” Humberto suggests. Least to say, there is something for everyone.
You can find pieces such as crewneck sweaters with the Kenzo tiger print, reversible jackets that will surely fly off the shelves, folkloric dresses for the adventurous, off-shoulder tops, voluminous skirts, quilted kimono jackets, and more. Accessories include some really snazzy eyewear, cuff bracelets, leather gloves, beanies, silk scarves, Asian-inspired sandals, and printed sock booties to name a few.
The best part of this collection is the many ways you can wear a single item. Like the reversible hoodie that has two totally different prints on each side that you can wear whichever way depending on your mood. There’s also a coat-like bomber jacket that has a removable zipper so you can wear it either short or long. Or the pullovers and light outerwear pieces that are basically for both men and women— sharing is highly advised.
Unlike its predecessor Balmain who used Insta-famous models to face the ad campaign, Kenzo went the opposite direction and signed up a diverse mix of personalities to front the collection. “Each of them has a unique voice, talent and point of view. It felt like a great way for us to celebrate that. It’s the way Humberto and I have always worked from when we started, which is being inspired by our community and people around us and people we admire,” says Carol Lim. The ambassadors were Iman, Chloe Sevigny, Rosario Dawson, Chance the Rapper, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Suboi, and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez.
The show held at Pier 36 was directed by legendary fashion icon Jean Paul Goude, who also happens to photograph the campaign. To the Insta-generation, he’s known for the photographer who lensed Kim Kardashian for her #BreakTheInternet cover for Paper Magazine, but to many, he’s the genius behind some of the most iconic images in fashion, notably the ones of the Grace Jones. A visionary of our time and seeing him creative direct a catwalk production was once in a lifetime.
Goude didn’t shy away from the program of the show. Instead of a traditional fashion parade, he turned the runway into a dance party. The casting included a mishmash of models, dancers, a drumline, beat box artists, and a string section all decked out in the collection. It almost felt like a pep-school rally. There was dancing, twirling, and marching all throughout the show. And the clothes? Movement only served to highlight the intricacy of design.
Celebrities like Joe Jonas, Lupita Nyong’o, Sienna Miller, and Elizabeth Olsen joined the ambassadors as they all sat down for the star-studded front row. The show set the mood for the night as the whole crowd joined the shindig. It was capped off by a surprise performance by hip-hop legend Ice Cube who threw in old school jams. The event was a celebration of individuality, self-expression, and a whole lot of positive vibes—the perfect way to describe the Kenzo x H&M collection.
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The Kenzo x H&M collection will be available globally on Nov. 3.