It has been nine years since Alexander Wang first decided to launch his own fashion label. And to say that the 30-year-old American designer has done pretty well during that span of time is probably an understatement. After all, he is currently the creative force behind both his eponymous label and French fashion house Balenciaga. And, next week, his latest project is set to launch worldwide: A new collection with H&M.

The Alexander Wang X H&M collection, which was unveiled to the media, fashion insiders and celebrities in New York on Oct 16, is the Swedish fashion giant’s first collaboration with an American designer. It also marks the 10th year of its series involving brands such as Lanvin, Versace and Comme des Garcons.

The decision to team up with Wang was a no-brainer, said H&M’s creative adviser Margareta van den Bosch. “Alexander Wang is one of the world’s most exciting young designers. His brand is globally famous, and he understands completely the style of the street and the essential pieces that should be in everyone’s wardrobe,” said van den Bosch via an email interview with TODAY.

“I’ve been following Alexander’s work for a while now and he’s such a talented designer who also knows how to have fun with fashion, which makes him the perfect designer for us to collaborate with.”

With the sportswear trend fast gaining traction among the movers and shakers of the global fashion industry, it was no surprise Wang chose to design a sports and performance wear collection. “(It’s) a category that H&M hasn’t done in the designer collaborations,” he said.

Wang, who loves his daily dose of “sports and performance wear (in) my everyday wardrobe”, translated his personal style into the 61-piece collection comprising apparel and accessories for men and women.

“I have always been inspired by the functionality of performance wear and sportswear, and the advancements in fabrics and technical details. These are sportswear pieces that are made to be worn every day on the street, but can also be fully functional at the gym, like the branded compression knit crop top or the performance T-shirts with camouflage text. Technology and innovation in materials are what excite me,” said the San Francisco-born, New York-based designer.

“When you see the collection, the immediate impression is that these kinds of pieces are made for working out, but I’m just as interested in someone who might take this piece — or something similar — and wear it with oversized trousers and a pair of men’s Oxfords.”

Rihanna was the first celebrity who took to the streets of New York fully decked in the highly coveted offering in September, pairing a crop top and a pair of leggings covered in the signature A. Wang logo with a clean pair of sneakers.

While other designers might typically re-invent or rehash pieces from their previous collections, Wang came up with new ones, give or take a few re-interpretations (a knit dress and top from his Spring 2013 collection and a pair of bootie heels from Spring 2010).

“The Alexander Wang X H&M collection reflects an essential element of the brand. It’s urban, sporty and focused on performance and functionality,” he said.

“It’s about pieces that have to outperform and outlast, because it’s dealing with the body in its most active state. It’s something that I’ve touched on in my work before, but this is the first time I’ve dedicated a whole collection to performance wear and sportswear, including genuine performance pieces that can be worn while working out, as well as on the street.”

The Alexander Wang X H&M collection will be available on Nov 6, Thursday, at H&M stores in Orchard Building and ION Orchard. Doors open at 8am.