In its latest designer collaboration, H&M has tapped the Belgian designer behind Y/Project and Diesel. Known for blending the boundaries between luxury, art and everyday essentials, Glenn Martens brought his experimental aesthetic to some of H&M’s archival bestsellers.
Inspired by British heritage style, the collection features manipulated denim, braided and deconstructed knits, delicately printed dresses, wired outerwear, reengineered trench coats, theatrical jewellery, hip-high boots, and shape-shifting bags.
H&M South Africa held a special launch event in Johannesburg to celebrate the collection.
“I see the collection as a big family of garments,” Martens explained, “all of which have multiple purposes and multiple starting points.
“They all have different personalities at different times — formal, informal, loud, quiet, rule-breaking, classic — and can be styled and interpreted in different ways.
“Just like people, they are themselves, but they are also always changing and growing and feeling different each day.”
For the collection’s campaign, British icons Joanna Lumley and Richard E Grant took on the roles of matriarch and patriarch in a fictional Glenn Martens fashion family.
They were joined by a diverse cast of models playing the “teenagers,” including Clym Evernden, Audrey Marnay, Jum Kuochnin, Heather Diamond Strongarm, and Clara Denison.
“I wanted the campaign to portray an absurd group of people to reflect the fact that the collection archetypes are quite diverse.
“So the idea of a family portrait felt really fitting.
“Also, since the collection has a kind of Britishness to it, I felt it would be fun to put an eccentric spin on the kind of aristocratic or royal portrait you would see in the nineteenth century.
“The vibe of the British royal family is legendary; it’s almost like a living fairytale.
“It really brings you into a different world, and I wanted the campaign to exist in parallel to that world.”
Image credit: H&M
Since 2004, H&M has collaborated with a high-fashion designer or brand to make luxury fashion more accessible.
Previous designers included Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garçons by Rei Kawakubo, Mugler, and Rabanne.
H&M’s head of design and chief creative advisor, Ann-Sofie Johansson, reckons this might be one of the most creative collaborations.
“I truly think this is one of the most creative collaborations we have ever done.
“Glenn is such a talent and a radical thinker, and these are exceptional designs that play with archetypes and the very essence of what it means to get dressed each day. “The campaign is so special – already iconic,” said Johansson.
