H&M launches collaboration collection in NYC
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For those who missed the last presidential debate before US elections next month, there was another event vying for your attention - the H&M x Kenzo launch party in New York.
The H&M team pulled out all stops to host an extravagant and social media-friendly event, perhaps as this is the first luxury collaboration between an LVMH-owned brand and Swedish fast fashion chain H&M.
Kenzo is a Paris-based luxury brand, widely known for its kaleidoscopic approach to fashion. Famous for its bold prints, patterns and textures, Kenzo's creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon were inspired by global youth culture for this collaboration, 'creating clothes that realize a universal, no-rules, pan-everything vision.'
“Being able to speak to an even wider audience and reach people that may not know what Kenzo is, is really exciting,” says Humberto. “Each piece has meaning, relevance and importance. That was our mission from the beginning.”
Held at New York's Pier 36, the show was an all-singing, all-dancing spectacular – a black curtain dropped to reveal trumpet players and dancers, while models vogued around the space in the designs, accompanied by a live marching orchestra in yellow uniforms. Ice Cube performed at the event, which was art directed by Jean-Paul Goude, who also photographed the promo images.
Key pieces in the collection – including the ribbon dresses – came from the original archives of the house’s founder. ‘It would be really great to take the pieces from the archive and celebrate those pieces along with pieces we created in our first collection and have a true conversation between us and Kenzo Takada,’ said Lim in an interview with Vogue.
The H&M x Kenzo collection is officially available from 3 November.