LANVIN X H&M

Photo courtesy of H&M

With a little less than two weeks away of Lanvin for H&M's collection to premiere in US flagship stores across the country, people are anxiously waiting for November 20th to roll around (everywhere else, you've got to wait until November 23rd for the collection to drop, sorry).

So what's all the hype about this collection? Well, simply put, it's a first for the French high-fashion house. Lanvin has never collaborated with any other designer, label, or brand.

Albert Elbaz, artistic director for all of Lanvin's creative activities, confesses his reasons for agreeing to collaborate with the Swedish clothing company:

"H&M approached us to collaborate, and see if we could translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a wider audience, not just a dress for less. I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public."

Elbaz has designed 45 pieces for women and 35 pieces for men that include clothing, shoes, and accessories. Most articles of clothing run from $99 to $349 a piece, shoes from $79 to $119, and accessories from $19 to $39.

H&M's creative director, Margareta van den Bosch, said, "It is very much a Lanvin collection, using their cut and tailoring, with lots of focus on form and details for both women and men."

For someone who's obsessed with all things black, praises designers like Yohji Yamamato and Rei Kawakubo, and finds inspiration from Japanese street walkers and New York City punk rockers, I can't be more excited for this collaboration since Commes des Garcons for H&M in Fall 2008.

Once in a while I find myself impressed with colorful, ruffle dresses, well-constructed tailored pieces, and chunky jewelry. And when it only costs a quarter of Lanvin's normal prices, how can one pass this up?

Check out the official Lanvin for H&M short film below, it's all things pretty: