H&M is re-releasing some items from previous designer collaborations, according to a Tuesday press release.
Items will be sourced via the company’s pre-owned initiative through partnerships with the online marketplace Sellpy and international vintage retailers, per the release.
The company said in its release that giving a second life to pre-owned clothing was part of its larger circular fashion initiative.
H&M began its designer collaborations in 2004 with a collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld, who was creative director of Chanel at the time. This relaunch initiative is intended to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the company’s guest designer program.
“Our aim was to introduce the world of fashion to consumers globally, while showcasing our connection to strong, thoughtful and original design,” Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, said in the release. “It connects to the fundamental ethos of H&M: that quality and creativity should be available for everyone.”
Pieces from multiple collaborations will be available, including items from H&M’s capsules with Viktor & Rolf, Versace, Moschino, Mugler and others, per the release. The items will launch through a series of global drops, which began in-store on Oct. 24 in Paris and will culminate with an online drop on Oct. 31. The relaunch was curated by stylist Kate Phelan, per the company.
Many of these designer collabs have sold out as soon as they launched, and some pieces have garnered premium prices at resale.
“Through working with pre-loved pieces, we can bring these collections back to fashion fans giving them the chance to love these collections all over again, while introducing iconic fashion moments from H&M and the world’s top design talents to a new generation,” Jörgen Andersson, H&M’s creative director, said in the release.
Designer collaborations with fast fashion companies have become big business over the past two decades, with brands including Uniqlo, Gap Inc., and Target launching capsule collections that blend luxury label caché with affordable pricing.
The first major fashion designer to launch an accessible fashion capsule was Isaac Mizrahi, whose 2003 collaboration with Target followed the retailer’s successful “Design for All” initiative, which launched with a Michael Graves housewares line in 1999. In 2019, Target celebrated its own 20th anniversary with a relaunch of some of its most successful designer collaborations, including capsules with Annu Sui, Proenza Schouler and current Gap Inc. creative director Zac Posen.
Meanwhile, Uniqlo recently hired Clare Waight Keller as its new creative director, following the designer’s collaboration with the brand last year, which may signal that the line between luxury and fast fashion is becoming increasingly blurred.
