H&M’s touch of Parisian flair

Sneakers with a hidden wedge in the heel, oversized textured knits worn with the skinniest of pants, floaty dresses, mannish cocoon jackets and heavily-embellished trophy jackets that don’t require much else to make a statement.

If you’ve bought into any of these styles before, you’re already more than acquainted with Isabel Marant than you know — even if the French designer’s name doesn’t immediately ring a bell.

The Parisian is the latest in high-street retailer H&M’s stable of guest designers, which boasts the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Versace, Marni and last year’s featured maestro, Maison Martin Margiela. When news of the collaboration broke in June, it went viral online — H&M’s announcement of its guest designer for the year is practically an event in itself. People started dreaming about which pieces from the cult of bohemian-grunge chic they would like to see in their wardrobes.

One of the reasons for the excitement is that the Isabel Marant aesthetic is so accessible, but still very sexy. It’s all very off-duty model/actress chic, with a mix of slouchy and streamlined pieces for a body-conscious but never suffocating sensibility. Throw in the artful sequins, fringes and embroidery and the look is elevated — more understated glam and less “I just put on the first things I saw”.

The other reason? Isabel Marant is the embodiment of that effortless Parisian boho-chic the fashion world can’t seem to get enough. Her star-studded following includes Kate Moss, Kate Bosworth, Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio and Rachel Bilson, just to name a few.

THE MARANT FACTOR

The Isabel Marant for H&M collection doesn’t disappoint. Launched with a big bash in Paris last week, the collection is, essentially, a distillation of all the designer’s trademarks and biggest hits.

Marant said in an email interview that inspiration came from the items in her wardrobe that she loves and wears all the time.

“They come from different collections and are all mixed up. These are my favourite pieces and I would hate to lose them,” she said. “So when I started working on this collaboration, I put together a small wardrobe of my must-have pieces — the best from my career — but I reinterpreted all the pieces in a way that suits the moment.”

Interestingly, the collection was built as a complete wardrobe. There are relaxed tees, tie-dye sweatshirts, airy dresses and blouses, chunky knits, tailored outerwear, sleek trousers, embellished heels, slouchy boots, heavily fringed scarves and accessories with a luxe-bohemian touch — all of which are designed to complement one another. The idea is for the wearer to be able to mix-and-match freely. It’s bad news for your credit card — but, then again, it’s hard to put a price on individual expression.

For the first time, Marant has also done a compact range for men. Menswear influences and tailoring have frequently featured in her eponymous collections and Marant revealed that it came more instinctively to her. “People have been asking me to do a men’s collection, so I thought this would be a good chance to give it a try,” she said. “I like the idea of men and women exchanging outfits because it is how people dress and live today. Similar to the women’s collection, the menswear is all about functional clothes with attitude, with an additional hint of vintage Americana.”

REBEL WITH APPLAUSE

The range for men taps the same free-spirited rock ‘n’ roll vein as the women’s collection, and comprises casual tie-dye tops, heavy knits, tailored outerwear, leather trousers and cowboy-inspired jeans and shirts. Another highlight of the collection is the teens’ line, “a playful edit of its adult counterpart, with more emphasis on prints”, said Marant. To her, the only distinction was in the sizing.

She explained: “When I was a teenager, I rebelled against accepted norms and made my own outfits and accessories to suit my personality.”

Guests at the party apparently felt the same way. The mannish coats and tailored jackets flew off the racks, but the women were also seen checking out the men’s sweaters to get an oversized, boyfriend-wardrobe look. The sweatshirts for both sexes were easy-to-wear favourites as well, as was the teens’ collection — even though nobody there looked a day below 20. The lower price point was probably an attraction.

This rebellious streak was also evident in the choice of venue for the Isabel Marant For H&M launch party. It wasn’t some cool club or posh hotel, but a tennis club. No sweaty, huffing players here — it had been completely transformed to look like the neon-lit, glittering streets of Paris in the early ’90s (the period when Marant launched her eponymous line). The set evoked the same high-octane but laid-back energy that the collection was about.

Celebrity guests included the stunning model Alek Wek, who was everywhere, clad in a tie-dyed red mini dress and loop-knit cardigan from the collection.

But the highlight was the pop-up store, which allowed guests first dibs to the collection. It was also perfect for sussing out the line’s biggest hits. Getting in was no mean feat, though. The line — if you can call a massive group huddle a “line” — grew bigger every minute. But in true fashionable style, there was no harried pushing — yes, the French have perfected an elegant way to cut queues.

OF FABRICS AND FINISHINGS

Last year’s collaboration, Maison Martin Margiela for H&M, may have been too conceptual and hard to wear, but there were no such problems with this collection.

“You always want something different from the previous collection. Margiela is very nice but it’s also a little bit avant garde and some clothes are a little bit odd, so I thought we should bring something that’s easier and that everybody loves,” said Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Adviser for H&M.

She should know. The 70-year-old was H&M’s design director for 21 years before she stepped back into the role of creative adviser. More importantly, she was the one who initiated and engineered the company’s successful collaborations with fashion’s top names, beginning with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004.

Said van den Bosch: “The exclusive materials make the price point a little higher, but it’s very worth it for what it is.”

The pieces do look good. Highstreet embellishments on clothing, for instance, often look cheap up-close. That’s not the case with this collection — studs, sequins and embroidery all feature heavily, and they all look great. Much thought also went into the lining of the outerwear: The mannish one-button wool blazer, for example, is lined with a cotton fabric instead of the ubiquitous shiny polyester, so it looks good even when you roll the sleeves up.

“Isabel Marant is very well-known but she makes very wearable clothes that are also very comfortable,” said van den Bosch. “You can see her influence on every piece.”

The Isabel Marant for H&M collection launches at 8am on Nov 14 at H&M Orchard Building. Prices range from S$39.90 for accessories to S$549 for a jacket for women, S$59.90 for a scarf to S$449 for a pair of leather trousers for men and S$24.90 for a beanie to S$159 for suede boots for the teens’ collection.