If the lure of Lanvin or Jimmy Choo was not enough, the Swedish retail chain H&M has surpassed itself by launching its latest designer collaboration with Versace.
This has been the most hotly awaited H&M collection yet by fashionistas the world over, with 60 pieces of trademark Versace, not the watered-down versions that we have come to expect of so many designer collaborations.
And on Thursday November 17th, 2011 come they did, in their thousands, from the UK to Dubai to Beijing. So much so that the rails were bare in minutes and H&M’s online store crashed under the strain.
Donatella Versace Presides Over Launch
In London, H&M’s flagship Regent Street store paid host to the lady herself, Donatella Versace, who made her entrance from a chauffeur driven Maserati. She told waiting journalists, “London is full of people who love fashion … I wanted to see the excitement for myself.” Dressed in (almost head-to-toe) Versace for H&M, she was swamped in the ensuing stampede for clothes and accessories, with shoppers desperate to get themselves a piece of Versace at a fraction of normal designer prices.
This is the label’s first collaboration with a high street retail chain, with 60-pieces of both men's and womenswear, including jewelry and accessories. Prices retail from £14.99 for a pendant necklace to £199.99 for a studded leather trench, a stark contrast to normal Versace prices, which can retail for around £6,000.
Versace for H&M 2011
The range was launched in 300 H&M stores worldwide, with London stores seeing a frenzied stampede. Shoppers in the UK were given different colored wristbands that gave every group of 20 people an allotted time of 10 minutes to shop the collection. In a bid to outsmart eBay sellers, customers where only allowed to buy one size of each piece. However, true to form, by late afternoon around 600 items had made their way onto the popular auction site – at greatly exaggerated prices.
Personally, I found most of the designers a little too Versace for my tastes, although the black silk 60s-inspired shift dress at £79.99, the black leather biker jacket at £149.99 and the black leather trench at £199.99 looked a great "timeless" buy.
However, for fans of the luxury label, the Italian high priestess of fashion, Donatella, has done them proud – producing a collection that is the “essence of Versace." It is full of striking silk and leather dresses, printed trousers, leather jackets and Versace's trademark studs and Miami print.
The range has received mixed reviews but that did not prevent the clothes flying off the rails; in some cases stores such as those in Dubai and Bejing had sold out of the entire collection within 30 minutes. Sadly, though some shoppers were disappointed as some pieces from the menswear collection that had been previewed on the runway did not materialize.
The accessories proved the most popular with budget shoppers as these were the most affordable. These included silk scarves, print and embellished handbags, flower-detail jewelry, leather necklaces and bracelets, and studded belts.
The H&M collection, which can be viewed on the retailer's website, pays homage to the Versace archives as well as to more recent collections. The trademark prints, the Greek key influence and the dramatic clean cuts are instantly recognizable. These are strong stand out pieces that will get you noticed, no matter what you wear.
This may be Versace on the cheap but it is still, nonetheless, pure iconic Versace!
Souces:
- Reed, Paula. "It's va, va, va Versace for H&M," Grazia, November 21st, 2011.
- Mowbray, Nicole. "Versace on the cheap: frock frenzy as designer line hits the high street," Daily Mail, November 18th, 2011.
Gill Hart - Gill Hart is a fashion and image professional who specializes in women's fashion over 50.
