Alexander Wang for H&M

H&M have done it again. Yet another designer collaboration was debuted this week, and while there has been plenty of hype surrounding the Alexander Wang for H&M partnership, I must say I was a little disappointed. While I’ve always quite liked Wang in the past and was eager like everyone else to see what the collection would look like, now I’ve seen it I can probably say I will not be frantically cuing outside H&M stores for hours to be the first to get my hands on it.

 It’s an interesting concept; Wang describes the collection as being designed to be worn ‘on the street, in the gym, at the club.’ And while I think versatility in fashion is brilliant, the actual practicality of this statement seems a bit iffy. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the gym and a night out are two very different things that require two very different dress codes... It seems the collection is more for those who want to look like they lead an active lifestyle, with actually minimal activity or athleticism. 

And while it’s tapping into the current move towards sportswear and the influence of R&B in fashion, I personally found some of the items to be pretty ugly. 

Like the black crop top with the slogan ‘this is an Alexander Wang crop top’ embedded on the chest which just seemed utterly unnecessary and ruined the piece. It was probably an attempt at being ironic and funny, yet I just found it looked cheap. Likewise with the sweatshirts with ‘Wang’ plastered across the front of them. I mean really, do I need to be parading where my clothes have come from. I’d feel like a walking billboard. Saying that though there were a couple of pieces I did quite like. 

The mesh jumper for example I found to be wearable but still have that signature Wang flair (without being plastered in his name), and the leather
jogger style trousers that I actually love!

I think much of my negative opinion about the collection is probably down to the fact that I’ve never much embraced the sport/chic look, I tend to be a bit more classic in my taste. Now the Isabelle Marrant collab was something I really did enjoy.Mixing up prints and colour, variations of fabrics, cuts and occasions. 

More classic but still fun, that’s more me.