5 things to know: Alexander Wang x H&M

Here are just a few things to know about the upcoming collection. 

Previously, 3 other photos were released on Instagram, whetting our appetites for the full collection. 

 

“The first Men’s look from the #ALEXANDERWANGxHM collection #AWRemix,” read the caption. 

The caption on this photo: “Performance & sportswear-inspired pieces from the #ALEXANDERWANGxHM collection. Available worldwide, November 6th #AWRemix,” the caption stated.”

“Preview of the #ALEXANDERWANGxHM lookbook. More advanced looks from the @HM collaboration, coming soon… #AWRemix,” the caption read. 

Pop star Rihanna has already been spotted wearing two of the pieces, a cropped top and a pair of leggings, while out and about in New York City.  

Fans should know that the Wang collection will be available in the Philippines. 

2. Focus areas

With pieces for both men and women, the collection is focused mainly on neutral blacks, grays, and whites, with a few pieces featuring the word “Wang” predominantly.

According to Style.com, which first previewed the photos above, the collection will also feature shoes and bags, as well as “objects,” items that are said to reflect an Alexander Wang lifestyle, according to the brand. 

3. New and fresh 

According to the Style.com report, we shouldn’t expect a rehash of older designs, though the pieces photographed above carry the distinct relaxed, deceptively simple, and modern silhouettes that Wang is known for. 

“There are only a couple of items that are updates from past designs. Rather than creating affordable versions of expensive items, I wanted to design true performance pieces that are within the natural price points of sportswear of H&M, so we were able to create the best version of these pieces, through our vocabulary.”

In a Q&A published in the Autumn 2014 issue of H&M magazine, Alexander said of his collection: “I’m hoping to achieve a completely new take, something that hasn’t been done in H&M’s 10 years of designer collaborations.”

The sentiment was echoed by Margareta Van Den Bosch, H&M’s longtime creative advisor, who met with Philippine journalists during a September press trip to visit H&M headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. 

“The collection it’s new, it’s not the kind of thing that’s been done before,” she said. 

“It’s super cool,” added Andreas Löwenstam (H&M’s head of menswear design) mysteriously, without saying more. “Especially for the men,” confirmed Van Den Bosch. 

4. Not just clothes

The collection will include shoes, bags, sunglasses, and “lots of little things,” according to Ann-Sofie Johansson, the head of design / new development. According to Van Den Bosch, the collection will have approximately 40 pieces for womenswear, and about 20 for the men. 

5. Milestones

 

 

The collection is momentous for several reasons. At 30, Alexander is the youngest designer to engage in a designer collaboration with H&M, and is also the first American designer. 

Alexander joins the ranks of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Donatella Versace, and Isabel Marant, among others, who have collaborated with H&M to release accessible, affordable pieces available through the Swedish retail giant. His collection marks the 10th year anniversary of the brand’s designer collaborations. 

Popular for his simple, loose-fitting white t-shirts as well as sporty, street-inspired pieces, Alexander says that wearability is key when he designs. “…I’m always traveling and looking at how people dress around the world. I think wearability is more something I inherently believe in…I don’t think, ‘I’m designing in New York, I have to make it wearable.’ That’s not my approach. It’s just what feels right.” 

The Alexander Wang for H&M collection is scheduled to hit stores on November 6. The first H&M in the Philippines will open at the SM Mega Fashion Hall this year, after a long, long wait for fans of the retail giant. – Rappler.com