Get Pippa’s favourite designer on the High St from just £14.99
HERE’S that time of the year again! We are under starter’s orders for H&M’s latest designer collaboration, this time with ultra-sophisticated Erdem.
Past H&M collaborations have seen stampedes and near-riots at the tills.
When Balmain x H&M went on sale in 2015, shoppers barged through the doors, knocking over mannequins and clearing rails in seconds. Police had to calm the crowds.
Last November, however, when Eighties favourite Kenzo produced a collection, proceedings were conducted in a newly civilised manner. Wristbands were issued to those queueing outside the store on Regent Street, with shoppers admitted in
groups of 20 and given ten minutes to shop. Erdem Moralioglu, the man behind this year’s range, will doubtless be pleased with this decorum — for that’s what his clothes are all about.
the designer counts Samantha Cameron and Pippa Middleton as fans and cites the young Queen Elizabeth as a muse. Hems are low, sleeves long and silhouettes conservative.
You’d be forgiven for wondering, then, how this label will sit with H&M, which, while brilliant for cheap jeans and fun sweatshirts, isn’t known for sophistication. Surprisingly well, is the answer.
Erdem signatures such as floral jacquards, ribbon trims and Victorian touches are more playful than the label’s devotees will be used to. Pieces such as the cream Victoriana shirt and jacquard midi skirt could be dressed up for the office or worn with white trainers at the weekend.
Prices start from as little as £14.99 for a pair of patterned tights. Shirts are between £60 and £100, while strappy dresses are around £150 and sleeved varieties just over £200. But contrast this with Erdem’s main line, where a shirt is around £700 and dresses sell for more than £1,000, and you can see why queues will be snaking around the block on November 2.
Our advice? think about what you want beforehand. If you’re there in person, you won’t have time to browse, and website traffic may make buying online tricky. So, earmark your favourites — check out ours above — and we’ll see you in the queue!