Lines will be out the door and around the corner at H&M locations this week. Tomorrow marks the debut for the H&M guest designer collection, in collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela.
Designed for both men and women, the collection will be distributed to around 230 H&M stores worldwide and be sold on H&M’s website. H&M and Maison Martin Margiela’s democratic and collaborative approach, and philosophy on design make this a dynamic and groundbreaking collection.
Maison Martin Margiela, created by Belgian designer Martin Margiela is one of the most important and influential French fashion houses of the past three decades. Constantly questioning the norms of fashion, Margiela focuses on reconstruction and transformation, reinventing volumes, modifying shapes and changing the original use and movement of garments.
This radical collaboration with H&M presents a re-release of iconic and avant-garde
Margiela garments and accessories for men and women, showing the house’s history through various modern reinterpretations of its classic designs.
“The pieces are incredibly accurate to the originals, and prove how the most radical concept can result in fashion that is both desirable and wearable,” said Margareta van den Bosch, H&M’s creative advisor.
Overall, the collection will represent an overview of Margiela’s creative approach through shape and volume, oversized clothing and extensive tailoring. One of
Margiela’s unique styles is the concept of ambiguity through the usage of trompe l’oeil, something that can trick the senses, with nude colors to convey the illusion of skin as well as tattoo patterns and a graphic image of a bra.
Additionally, transformation is shown through deco struction, reconstruction and assemblage techniques such as the fusion of different jackets and dresses.
Pieces include everything from coats, jackets, trousers, dresses, trompe l’oeil T-shirts and body suits, wedge pumps, leather boots, bags made of repurposed gloves, oversized hobo bags shaped like guitar cases, candy wrapper clutches, jeans and sweaters. Stand out pieces include a comically oversized blazer, fire-engine-red wedge sneakers and a navy hitched-up skirt. The muted color palette is very representative of Margiela’s style and showcases pieces in shades of white, black, red, nudes and silver. Prices range from $13 to $399.
Steinhardt sophomore Max Philp appreciates the color palette of the collection as well as the somewhat gothic style of the Maison Martin Margiela and H&M collection.
“I love the minimal aesthetic of the H&M Margiela collection,” Philp said. “The basic, monochromatic colors add a somewhat gothic touch to the collection that fits my style and mocks the unnecessary grandeur of last decade’s fashion.”
The Maison Martin Margiela collection will be available at the H&M stores in SoHo at 515 Broadway and the Fifth Avenue location at 18th Street.
A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Nov. 14 print edition. Paige Brott is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].