We are now familiar with the the collaborations between high street brands and luxury fashion houses as it seems to be more and more popular, for instance the likes of Victoria Beckham X Target, Mary Katrantzou X Adidas originals and most recently H&M X ERDEM.
In a way, these collaborations are a way of showing how exclusive these brands are that is to say, how everyone wants the real deal but they can’t have it .
This year I went with my impulse and decided to shop the H&M collection in-store rather than online as I had not been so lucky with getting the pieces I wanted in previous years.
Here are some advice to ensure you make the most from shopping any high end X high street collaboration.
SHOP IN STORE
There is nothing worse than being told ‘please wait while we try to load’ by a computer screen for hours, and it eventually loads,the items are all sold out and you are left with the scrap of the collection nobody wants. Avoid this heart break and frustration by going to store.
BUYING ONLINE
Should you decide to shop from the comforts of your home, ensure you have a stable internet connection. Do not add stuff to basket in the hopes of shopping around and finding it waiting for you to check out. It will be gone!!! I recommend finding the item you want the most, add to basket and checkout immediately, repeat the process until you are done.
FAMILIARISE YOURSELF
Browse the designer brands website, see what style and pattern is signature to the brand, the price range of the pieces. These would help you make a well informed decision on what pieces to buy yourself that will stand the test of time and be a classic piece in your wardrobe to be worn in many years to come
PRICES
The highest price item may not necessarily be the best, but in some cases they are. Ask yourself the question, is the fabric, quality and style enough justification for the high price? If so then it is a wise investment, because it would be a classic statement in your wardrobe, or hold its value if you decide to resell after wearing it once or twice.
AD CAMPAIGN
You can know what the key pieces are simply from watching the campaign adverts for the clothes. What item is the STAR model wearing? These items are normally marked as exclusives when released and are usually worth the money.
BEAT THE QUEUE
A sacrifice that pays off? Wake up early, wrap up warm and comfortably. Aim to be amongst the first 4 batches of shoppers if you really want to get your hands on that item you have been dreaming about.
RETURNS
It is unfair that usually there is a shorter return time policy in these collaborations when bought in store. This is to discourage reselling by the brands. In most cases you have a 3 days return policy, missing this deadline means no refunds or exchanges except there is a fault.
Here is my editorial of the pieces I bought in the ERDEM x H&M collaboration.
I was very inspired by the florals and feminist of the brand. These pictures were shot at the world famous Kew Botanic Gardens in London .
I honestly think that in most cases these collaborations produce high quality clothes, in terms of fabric quality, so it isn’t just a name or hype you are paying for.
You can watch my YouTube video HERE, reviewing all the products I bought, giving you my honest opinion. I returned some items unfortunately, can you guess which items I returned?
What are your thoughts on these collaborations, would you shop them or not? I would love to know in the comments section.
Styling and photography by me.
Stay Stylish !!!
