First glimpse of the Lanvin for H&M campaign

We have fairly firmly established how I feel about the high-street designer collaborations that have become a routine part of the high-street schedule here in the UK. Generally they're a bit of a dissapointment. It's best to go into them without high expectations and be pleasantly surprised rather than spend months getting all excited and be part of the scrum on launch day only to discover that you've left the shop with a handful of rather squeaky feeling polyester that makes you look square. No, not hip to sbe square, but square as in shaped like a cardboard box.
But now that the Kate Moss at Topshop era is over and +J at Uniqlo is enjoying another successful season - with better fabrics this time round too - I feel it's time to reconsider my stance just a little bit. Especially because the Sonia Rykiel for H&M collection was lovely and now there's this to look forward to;

Plus there are these amazing Pierre Hardy for Gap wedges that I tried on in the shop only the other day and am now saving all my pennies for.

Pierre Hardy Design Edition wedges - £89

For once something really covetable from one of the most boring shops in the world. And we even got them before they dropped in the US. Fingers crossed there's still a pair in my giant foot size left by the time I can afford them....


What the high street seems to have realised is that we won't want nasty cheap fabrics and cuts more just because there's some fancy label on them.We'll happily pay a bit more for something a bit better (although we'll always think it would be nice if we didn't have to). I love that Alber Elbaz talks about making H&M into a luxury label for a few weeks, rather than opening up Lanvin to the masses. Fingers crossed they don't cock it up.

Of course, we may have invented this whole thing on the British high street, but you can trust the Americans to take an idea and run with it. Their king of collaborations, Target, is set to launch Mulberry for Target later this year. Sigh...