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High-street fashion meets haute couture sensibility in H&M’s new collaboration with Italian-French designer Giambattista Valli.
When H&M teams up with designers, the collections are considered iconic for a reason. Having worked with some of the most sought-after labels in the business – Versace, Balmain and Stella McCartney to name a few – the retailer has garnered quite the reputation for being both on trend and authentic. Each year, designers who work with them are given free rein to express their ideas in condensed, capsulised forms that feel totally unique; such is the case with the latest Giambattista Valli collab.
Valli is renowned worldwide, an ‘undisputed master of haute couture with a knack for the memorable silhouette’ as described by H&M’s creative advisor, Ann-Sofie Johansson. His elaborate designs have graced countless red carpets and his more over-the-top masterpieces crafted from tiers of tulle, decorated with intricate floral appliques, and finished with dreamy ombre gradients are straight out of a fairytale.
Joining forces with a mass-market juggernaut to embrace brand expectations at odds with his usual repertoire, Valli told Vogue that ‘it is indeed a collaboration rather out of the ordinary.’ Then there’s the appeal of reaching the wider, younger audience that is Gen Z. ‘H&M is allowing me to bring my vision of style and celebration of beauty to many more people,’ he said.
The line, which consists of 60 womenswear pieces and 47 menswear pieces, has been given a gender-neutral makeover as part of Valli’s first foray into male fashion since launching his eponymous brand over a decade ago. Designed to appeal across genders, he has adapted his hyperfeminine aesthetic into something accessible to everyone, and the wide range of items are poised for instant sell-out status.
