Maison Martin Margiela for H&M: My top 5 items

Truth is, as much as I try to steer away from covering big high street brands and international designer names on his blog there is always one category which still interests me and feel it’s worth covering; that is the H&M Designer collaborations (check out my Versace coverage here and here and Marni coverage here and here).

Reason is, well it looks like it’s only getting better and better and with some (but not all) of the pieces it produced, it is well worth the wait if you are a fan of the collaborating designer but can’t afford the real deal.

This season’s collaboration has to be one of the edgiest so far. As much as I’d love to pretend that Maison Martin Margiela (MMM) is a household name, well it is not. However, it is definitely one which is high on the radar of any fully fledged fashionista (or fashionisto as it proves very popular with men!) for its avant-garde edge and deconstructed cuts which is more likely to work in editorial shoot than on the average everyday pavements.

Personally, I love Maison Martin Margiela! It is fresh, inspirational and creative but I have to admit it would probably be on the list of those coveted labels which I admire in magazines but cannot see myself pulling off.

Surprisingly though, the MMM pieces for H&M do break this rule and I found myself (despite trying to resist it!) coveting some of the items which I would totally see myself in.

My kinda style! Love this look from head to toe...

Love this look but don't think can pull it off so left it off my list...

Introducing Singapore's Hot Streetstyle Collaboration...

Forget Versace/H&M, Marni/H&M or whoever/H&M. The hottest collaboration of the year will be taking place next weekend in Singapore.

Of course I’m talking about the L’ILE AUX ASHBY Pop up store and showcase which is taking place in the painfully hip Tiong Bahru area on July 13 and 14.

What’s that I hear you cry? And why is it such a hot event? Well the number one reason is obvious. I’m in it :-)

In all seriousness though, I’m always very excited when cool local designers/artists do collaborations and events which show the extent of their talents. So when I was asked by Rayson Tan, the designer behind  L’ILE AUX ASHBY  to collaborate on a showcase, I was over the moon!

H&M lauches Marni collection in Singapore - in an orderly manner!

UPDATE: I collaborated with a few bloggers around the world to document how H&M x Marni went down around the world? Click on the following link to see what happened in Los Angeles and New York.

---

So finally the day came! And as excited as I was, I still couldn’t justify starting to queue from the night before or even anytime before 8am! And it turns out I didn’t need to. As the insanity that surrounded Versace was nowhere to be seen.
On the way there I met Zid, who had 2 bags of Marni x H&M and of course I wanted to know what he got! Turns out, like me, he didn’t go crazy and bought what he really liked – the yellow shorts and the white daisy necklace which I sadly missed :-(

While Twitter was full with rumours about the entire collection being sold out in just 20 minutes, I had my doubts. In fact, reaching H&M at 9:30am (yes I need my morning sleep!) the queue had only about 30 people. It seemed too good to be true, and it turned out that this was secondary queue. 

The queue for Marni x H&M at 11:00 am in Singapore

Five of the Best: My picks from Marni for H&M collection

When H&M did the collaboration with Lanvin, I thought that was the pinnacle. I mean where do you go from there? With all due respect, Versace was a step down; more popular but definitely a step down in terms of style and quality.

Then came Marni… and now I’m kinda torn! But while Lanvin’s collection consisted mainly of party dresses, Marni has stuck steadfastly to what the brand does best: sophisticated yet wearable everyday clothes. And another plus point of this collection is the price range which is considerably lower than the previous H&M designer collaborations (the most expensive piece is S$199).

One of the reasons I love Marni for is the label’s practical approach to design; Making the everyday wardrobe interesting while also being comfortable and appropriate. But the trick to rocking Marni pieces (and especially those for H&M) is good styling! Without it, you can risk those lovely pieces looking just blah and uninspiring due to their understated cuts.

Keeping that in mind, I made my 5 picks from the Marni for H&M collection based on how well I think the pieces would look on a real person, not styled up to perfection like the model in the lookbook.

So, here’s my list for next Thursday:

This outfit is styled so well but I doubt the shiny look would be possible to pull off...
unless you are the model of course :-)

It’s not Tom Ford: H&M announces its next collaboration with Italian label Marni

It couldn’t be further in style and approach than Versace, and yet the Milan Fashion Week highlight label Marni is going to be the next designer brand to collaborate with the highstreet giant H&M.

Personally I’m ecstatic! Yes Tom Ford (who was being heavily tipped by fashion writers despite being ultra-luxury and limited in womenswear terms) is sleek and stylish but Marni is much more fun and most of all wearable!

It’s one of those labels like Marc Jacobs and Prada which built a reputation on being bold, full of patterns and colours; in other words, ‘out-there’ yet sophisticated.

Marni's colourful patterns and relaxed cuts are definitely
not to miss!