H&M marks 20th anniversary of Guest Designers Collaborations with limited re-release drop

H&M is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its guest designer collaborations by revisiting and releasing some of its most iconic collaborative collections.

The Swedish fashion retailer launched its first designer collection with Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of Chanel at the time, in 2004. One of the first of its kind, the collaborative collection made designer fashion more accessible to a broader audience and paved the way for further collaborations between other high-street retailers and high-end fashion houses.

"Our aim was to introduce the world of fashion to consumers globally while showcasing our connection to strong, thoughtful, and original design,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, in a statement. “It connects to the fundamental ethos of H&M: that quality and creativity should be available for everyone."

Now, 20 years later, H&M is honoring the launch of its guest designer collaborations by selling several items from several of the collections through its pre-loved initiative. Sourcing the items through partnerships with the online pre-loved marketplace Sellpy and other global vintage retailers, the initiative is part of the retailer’s wider commitment to promoting a more circular fashion economy.

"Through working with pre-loved pieces, we can bring these collections back to fashion fans, giving them the chance to love these collections all over again while introducing iconic fashion moments from H&M and the world's top design talents to a new generation,” said Jörgen Andersson, creative director at H&M in a statement.

The re-released assortment will include pieces from a number of H&M guest designer collaborations, such as Viktor & Rolf, Versace, Marni, Moschino, Stella McCartney and Sonia Rykiel. Rather than offering all the pre-loved pieces for sale at once, H&M will offer the pieces in a series of drops across seven selected global stores, as well as online, starting with a drop in Paris Lafayette on October 24. Further drops will follow in London, Milan, New York, Barcelona, Stockholm and lastly in Berlin on October. 30. The in-store launches, which include a dedicated activation, will be followed by an online drop on October 31.