They include the signature +J white shirts, light down jackets and sculptured coats in arctic blues, tempestuous grays and the warm hues of foliage.It is no longer breaking news for top fashion designers to collaborate with mass-market brands, but the fact that Lanvin, one of the oldest Paris fashion houses (one of the most pricy ones as well), has agreed to team up with H&M still surprises and excites fashionistas around the world. An exclusive collection created by Lanvin's artistic director Alber Elbaz for the Swedish high street brand will be available in around 200 H&M stores on November 23.

Elbaz, who had previously stated that he would never do a mass-market collection, talked about the collaboration: "What intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public."

Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M, said the collection will be "very much a Lanvin collection." It will feature the French fashion powerhouse's iconic cut and tailoring, with lots of focus on the form and details.

Since joining Lanvin in 2001, Elbaz has pioneered some of the biggest trends of the past decade, including ribbons, bows, pearls, raw edges, sumptuous color and metallic embellishment, among many others.

By working with mass-market brands, the world's most influential designers have managed to sell their philosophy of beauty and style to a wider audience.

Karl Lagerfeld, who has worked with H&M on a capsule collection back in 2004, has photographed the latest catalogue for 3 Suisses, featuring top Australian model Iris Strubegger in 15 selected items from the French mail-order company's fall/winter collection.

Strubegger's front cover style is very much like the female version of Lagerfeld himself: the red-haired beauty is dressed in black and white, with a wide tie and a pair of leather gloves.

"My dream is to turn the whole house of Lagerfeld into this kind of (mass) business, because I am at the peak of luxury with Chanel and Fendi," said the creative director at Chanel and Fendi. "Being at both ends of the market is the height of luxury."

The collection featured in the catalogue includes some coveted pieces full of French flair, including a stripped boyfriend blazer to be worn with a feminine silk shirt, a minimalist dress of intriguing lace and velvet details, a feather cape, a pair of leather gloves and a fake pearl ring.

Last year, Jil Sander has made a successful return to the fashion world through her collaborative line +J with Japanese fast fashion giant Uniqlo.

Best-known for her minimal, perfectly proportioned designs, the designer explores the territory between couture and sportswear with the line. The latest autumn/winter +J collection consists up to 150 items of "sculptured lines, fluid grace and modern sophistication for everyone."

They include the signature +J white shirts, light down jackets and sculptured coats in arctic blues, tempestuous grays and the warm hues of foliage. Ranging between 149 yuan (US$21.80) to 1,999 yuan, the collection will go on sale in Uniqlo's Shanghai stores on October 15.
POST: 2024-11-25