Who would have thought, Isabel Marant is coming to an H&M near you. The collection will be available in stores and online in 250 stores worldwide on November 14th, 2013, and will feature clothing and accessories for woman, and children, as well as Isabel Marant’s first-ever collection for men. As a lot of people have noted, H&M already takes a hefty amount of inspiration from Marant – so how special can it really be? For me it’s the collaborations like Margiela, Lanvin and Viktor & Rolf that really hit the mark because they did embody a different aesthetic that you don’t often see on the high street.
As far as brand credibility goes, however, with those whom the brand is geared towards (the fashionably innovative, affluent female), I’m unsure how good a move it is: exclusivity is so often one of the greatest attributes of a high-end brand, particularly in building its desirability amongst fashion followers, and collaborating with a high street retailer (particularly on such a grand scale) may decrease that air of exclusivity that the brand currently exudes.
What does this collaboration mean for the authentic Isabel Marant customer? Would I still be so eager to pay such exaggerated prices for items, and indeed buy in to the brand, should similar items bearing the same name and aesthetic be attainable and worn by the average high street customer? It’s a possibility that the designs could be disappointing and when you get there it will be picked over, and a disastrous.
Although don’t mind me, I shall most certainly not be complaining – come November 14th
