Rei Kawakubo / Comme des Garcons for H&M Designer Collection

[writergal28]

PARIS – For its next designer collaboration, H&M is trying on something avant-garde for size and teaming up with Japanese fashion maverick Rei Kawakubo

From Women's Wear Daily

[liberty33r1b]

from WWD

H&M Links With Rei Kawakubo


Published: Thursday, April 03, 2008
By Miles Socha

PARIS – For its next designer collaboration, H&M is trying on something avant-garde for size and teaming up with Japanese fashion maverick Rei Kawakubo.

A one-time Comme des Garçons for H&M collection is slated to launch in early November as the Swedish fast-fashion giant opens its first stores in Japan: a 10,000-square-foot unit in Tokyo’s Ginza district and a 16,000-square-foot location in hyper-trendy Harajuku. An international rollout will follow.

Kawakubo – acclaimed for a fearless, experimental approach to fashion – will design H&M fashions for women, men and children, as well as accessories and a unisex fragrance.

H&M has sparked shopping frenzies for its annual designer collaborations with the likes of Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf and Karl Lagerfeld.

[liberty33r1b]

^it's the first time they will do childrens wear as well, no? will be fun to see....

[luckyme]

is it April fools?

COMME DES GARCONS FOR H&MH&M HAS announced its next designer collaborator: Comme des Garcons.

The famously avant-garde Japanese label, spearheaded by design powerhouse Rei Kawakubo, will provide a range of both men's and womenswear, as well as childrenswear, accessories and a new unisex fragrance for the retailer. In honour of its Japanese roots, the collaborative line will launch exclusively at H&M in Tokyo in November before being rolled out worldwide a few days later.

"I have always been interested in the balance between creation and business," says Kawakubo of the collaboration. "It is a dilemma, although for me creation has always been the first priority. It is a fascinating challenge to work with H&M since it is a chance to take the dilemma to its extreme, and try to solve it."

"Rei Kawakubo has been on the top of our wish list for a long time and we are thrilled that she has chosen to collaborate with us," adds H&M creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch. "We have tremendous respect for Kawakubo's fashion philosophy questioning fashion's ingrained patterns and we admire her artistic approach to design. We are particularly excited to launch the collection in Kawakubo�s native country at our launch in Japan."

H&M's designer collaborations are the stuff of modern legend - capsule collections for the brand by Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf and, most recently, Roberto Cavalli have proved instant sell-out successes. (April 3 2008, AM)

Leisa Barnett

vogue.co.uk

[indie]

difinitely looking forward to this!

[Hanne]

Wow Christmas comes early this year.. I was very blah about Cavalli.. this however

[writergal28]

Originally Posted by Hanne

Wow Christmas comes early this year.. I was very blah about Cavalli.. this however

I didn't like the Cavalli collection either, nor did I really like Viktor & Rolf...looking forward to this though. I haven't really liked anything since Stella's collection in 2005.

[kitty87kat]

Don't tell me this is an April Fool's joke, I will be crushed!
but otherwise, .

[liashoes]

It's going to be very extensive, isn't it? And a fragrance! November is too far away.

[Spike413]

Oh god, this means I'll have to camp out 24 hours before hand. If the Cavalli sold out within hours, imagine what this'll do!

[MulletProof]

this is not happening. noooooooooo

[Mathewthew]

Originally Posted by MulletProof

this is not happening. noooooooooo

.......WHAT??

[Scott]

what?!?! i heard those rumours before but i never thought much else except as such. but if you think about it,rei does play round with commercialism with a few of her more accessible lines and collaborations. and really i'd rather see this collaboration with H&M(who's working with my friend in DAA)than i would say a target or gap.

[softgrey]

i just hope it's not a bunch of embellished t-shirts... which she does tend to do a lot of..and which do NOT move me...

[*sayan]

I have a little bit of trouble seeing how this is a new way to express herself. I would've rather liked a much cheaper line under her own umbrella.
Unless she has a plan to destroy H&M from the inside.