Twenty years after their first partnership with designer Stella McCartney, fashion retailer H&M is all set to launch their second collaboration (on May 7) with the luxury label from the UK. It blends current signature styles such as oversized shirts, sweeping trenches and sharp tailoring with “playful iconic hits from McCartney’s early archive”, including bejewelled prints and slogan tops. 

Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design, womenswear and creative advisor, H&M, calls McCartney a “rule breaker”. “She was H&M’s second ever designer collaboration, after Karl Lagerfeld. Stella is not afraid to challenge the conventions of the industry and to present an inspiring and hopeful vision of how to do things differently. That is what attracted us to her 20 years ago: we felt she had vigour and energy and ideas for how to disrupt the industry, especially when it came to materials. And recently, we decided that we wanted to champion that again, and keep those discussions going, hence this collection,” says Ann-Sofie, who has collaborated closely with renowned brands such as Balmain, Rabanne, Moschino, and Mugler.

Highlights from the drop include rib knitted dresses and tops with McCartney’s signature Falabella chain at the neck; a long white gown with a cape-like sleeve that loops into the hem; alongside partywear, separates, denims, mesh dresses, and tops. On the accessories front, there will be bags in six styles including shoulder bags and totes, and a selection of necklaces, earrings crafted from recycled metal. “There are some throwbacks that people will love, like the ‘Rock Royalty’ white mini tee, which is a homage to a style worn by Stella herself, and Liv Tyler, at the 1999 Met Gala. There are innovative fabrications within the collection like the usage of feedstock for coated materials, such as industrial corn and recycled vegetable oil,” she says, adding that other materials include RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certified wool, and ROC certified cotton.

Addressing how this collaboration is different from earlier ones at the brand, Ann-Sofie says it is “about much more than just a collection”. “One very important aspect of this new collaboration with Stella is the launch of a brand-new Insights Board, which is uniting different voices and figures from across the fashion industry, to create a space for discussion on issues to do with materials, sustainability and life cycles of clothing,” she says, adding that participants include technologist-entrepreneur Kiara Nirghin; model and global brand ambassador Amelia Gray; fashion editor Susie Lau; and model-actor Adwoa Aboah, to name a few. 

Going forward, Ann-Sofie says the brand is looking into how “people can enjoy their pieces for longer, how we can make sure that can be recycled or reused”. “The H&M Group aims for 100% of its materials to be either recycled or sustainably sourced by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040,” she concludes. 

Apparel and accessories are priced upwards of ₹2,229 and will be available online