H&M's latest collaboration with Erdem hits stores

The queue before the doors open during the launch of the H&M X Erdem designer collaboration collection at H&M Orchard Building on Nov 2, 2017. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Diniy D Hamzah, 28, picks out products during the launch of the H&M X Erdem designer collaboration collection at H&M Orchard Building on Nov 2, 2017. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Afif Barker (left), 23 and Diniy D Hamzah, 28, pictured with their loot after the launch of the H&M X Erdem designer collaboration collection at H&M Orchard Building on Nov 2, 2017. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

SINGAPORE - The first person in the queue for Swedish high street chain H&M's latest designer collaboration, with London brand Erdem, was in line since 11.30am on Wednesday at H&M Orchard Building.

At about 7am, there were 50 people in the queue. At 8am, when the doors opened, the number of shoppers in line had ballooned to 120.

However, numbers were low compared to the fast fashion brand's collaboration with French luxury house Kenzo last year, for which the queue snaked around the side of the building.

"Every designer collaboration is different each year and we do not compare against past collaborations," says Ms Abby Wee, communications and press manager for H&M Singapore and Malaysia. "We always look forward to exciting and surprising our customers with such collaborations."

London-based British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralioglu's collection consists of 82 menswear and womenswear pieces as well as accessories, many of which feature his signature black lace and floral motifs.

For crowd management purposes, at 6am on Thursday, customers were divided into groups of 30 and given bracelets with allocated time slots. The doors opened at 8am. Each group had 10 minutes to shop the collection, with each shopper limited to one piece per style.

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The first in line, a 23-year-old who declined to be named as he was "queueing for my friends", said: "They really wanted the items so I thought I'd do them a favour since I don't have anything on today."

His three friends accompanied him through the night but left in the morning for work. The group had previously queued together for the H&M X Balmain collection in 2015 but were not one of the first few in line.

The science student emerged with six items including dresses and blouses for his friends, as well as a hoodie for himself.

The first items to sell out were backpacks and brooches.

The collection launches online at 5pm at www.hm.com. It is also available at H&M Ion Orchard.

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