Today In Collaborations:H&M Expands Collaborations &Taps Matthew Williamson For A Summer Event

Is H&M's annual designer exclusive program about to go bi-annual?
The Swedish retailer has just announced its next collaborator, British designer Matthew Williamson, but the big news is that rather than planing the event for November as has been the past pattern, the project will hit store shelves and racks at the end of April 2009. A small women's line will debut on the 23rd of the month with a larger delivery of additional merchandise to include men's items a few weeks later.
So far, the chain hasn't made a misstep with its designer program, and even in a market that has become awash in "Designer X" exclusively for "Mass Retailer Y" labels, H&M can still whip customers into a frenzy and sell out within hours, even with labels as avant-garde as Comme des Garçons.
Like that most recent collaboration, the Williamson line's first delivery will be carried in only 200 of the chain's locations, but in a new twist, the second delivery will be rolled out to the entire chain. This will certainly be good news to those who might actually have something more important to do on April 23rd than claw their way to a well-priced dress, and it allows H&M to capitalize on these events beyond the initial blink-and-you-missed-it morning kick-off.
Given the gloomy state of things at all levels of retail, H&M is fighting back with what it does best. How will other stores follow suit?
H&M Teams With Matthew Williamson (WWD)

Comments

[emmy]

In a way, this development mirrors what H&M did when they released their collaborative collection with Marimekko earlier this year.

Looking forward to seeing how his love of prints and colour will translate to "fast fashion" menswear.

Any predictions as to whom H&M will choose for the next collection for Holiday 2009?