H&M and creative director of Balmain, Oliver Rousteing, have joined forces to create glamorous couture-meets-streetwear, Eighties influenced pieces.
The designer is one of fashion’s reigning social media stars so it’s no surprise he’s keen for fans to join the movement #HMBalmaination. He said: “I want to talk to my generation and this is my main aim as a designer. H&M allows me the unique possibility of bringing everyone into the world of Balmain, getting a piece of the dream and creating a global #HMBalmaination. It’s a movement of togetherness, fuelled on a hashtag. The collaboration felt extremely natural to me. H&M is a brand that everybody connects to. It calls for unity, and I am all for it.”
The French designer is really getting involved and even looking after the Instagram account personally. He told Vogue: “I’m already checking the hashtag all the time. I’m the boss of this hashtag and I can’t wait to see people taking selfies of what they’ve bought from the collection.”
Rousteing has created a unique identity for the house of Balmain, he’s respectful of its couture DNA and he adds his own modern showbiz flair to each design. Balmain has grown into a global pop-culture phenomenon with celebrity fans like Kendal Jenner and Jourdan Dunn all wanting a piece of the pie.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M added: “We are excited to have Balmain as our guest designer at H&M. He creates a mix of couture spirit and streetwear attitude. Balmain owns a unique style that’s opulent and direct, sensual and energetic. It is also closely linked to the show business and music worlds, which adds another element of surprise.”
The new collection is available from November 5 in Dubai Mall and in around 250 stores worldwide and online. It will feature clothing and accessories for women.
