MMM/H&M
Last week's early morning visit to H&M for the launch of their collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela was a first for me. I had never before taken the plunge to actually get up and be there first for one of these things. I don't know, it always felt a little silly to go to such extreme measures (hey, my morning sleep is valuable and I don't like swarmy crowds). Don't get me wrong, I definitely coveted pretty much everything from the Lanvin round but wasn't up for it. I regret that now because I missed out on some stunning finds, and this was my next chance to do it right. I was excited about this one and there was no way I was going to miss out on having my first pick of the treasures.
It helped to have my friend Jessica and her fabulous mom along as my partners in crime for the excursion, and after a pre-sunrise stop at Starbucks, the whole experience really wasn't bad at all. It was actually exhilarating, inspiring, and tons of fun if you can believe it. There was no pushing, no shoving, no crying - just a bunch of like minded fashionistas (more men than women actually), all respectfully lined up with color coated bracelets for shopping times. How civilized! They even gave us pretty fabric MMM garment bags and samples of the perfume Untitled, which is now next on my list.
Many of the items from this collection were a little on the daring side. Massive wool coats, disco ball pants, upside down purses, and lock of hair necklaces (yep)... But there was also a good handful of must-have pieces. At the very least, I knew I needed the candy wrapper clutch, and was going to be happy with the red if they didn't have the silver. It's perfectly oversized, statement, clever, and $59.95. Done.
I was surprised that the other item I walked out with that day was a men's chunky sweater that looks like it could be from my grandpa's closet. At first I was thrown off by the idea of getting something that's more for vegging than peacocking, but I'm thrilled with this purchase. It will probably have a permanent place on me when I'm in Minnesota for Christmas, and I'm excited for the other interesting ways it can be styled. Ian wants to wear it too, so it serves a double purpose.
The rhinestone collar was actually something I went back for this Sunday (yes - there are still a lot of great things on shelves!). I saw it there the first day but was feeling hesitant to spend $60 on a piece of jewelry at H&M. Silly. I had been regretting not buying it as I think it will be fantastic for the holidays with a peplum top. So I was happy to have a second chance on that one.
Overall I'm impressed with this whole collection and I loved my experience shopping it. I'm even still considering a few more items that remain on my mind, and I already can't wait for their next designer collaboration. If you can get your hands on anything that caught your eye from this one, you won't be disappointed.