The fashion line H&M gives William Morris’s iconic prints a new lease of life with its latest collaboration

The Swedish clothing giant has transformed the most British of prints and patterns into a forward-looking collection of womenswear, menswear and accessories – and we can’t get enough of it

Global fashion brand H&M has long been known for its stylish and savvy partnerships. To date, its list of past collaborators reads like a who’s-who of high-end design that’s seen the company teaming up with names as well-respected as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella Mccartney and Versace. Lately, though, the high-street powerhouse has cast its creative net beyond the fashion world, looking to the home as its new source of inspiration.

After this summer’s capsule collection with fabric and wallpaper brand GP & J Baker, H&M has scoured the vast archive of another icon of British interiors. In, early October, it will celebrate the launch of its extensive collaboration with Morris & Co, the quintessentially British company founded in 1861 by William Morris, one of the most influential designers of the Arts & Crafts movement.

‘The Morris & Co prints are some of the most recognised and loved around the world,’ says Pernilla Wohlfahrt, H&M’S design director. Motifs such as ‘Brer Rabbit’, ‘Lily Leaf’ and ‘Marigold’, familiar on fabrics and wallpapers, are given a new lease of life, appearing on everything from t-shirts to 1970s-inspired blouses and wide-leg trousers. ‘Pimpernel’ – originally a wallpaper print used in the dining room of Morris’s London home, Kelmscott House (more about that on p79) – can now be found on structured tailoring.

‘The collaboration enables us to show the relevance of Morris’s iconic patterns today,’ says Claire Vallis, creative director of Morris & Co. ‘It’s great to bring them to a new fashion-world audience.’ ( hm.com).

‘THE MORRIS & CO PRINTS ARE SOME OF THE MOST RECOGNISED AND LOVED AROUND THE WORLD‘