“People think we’re really strategic about which designer collaboration happens when, but the truth is that sometimes it all starts with a feeling,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M Creative Advisor and Head of Design Womenswear. “Mr. Saab has been making beautiful clothes for years now, but it felt like maybe he hasn’t been celebrated enough.” At a time when AI dominates the conversation, she added, what we all need is “just to experience something beautiful.”
“There’s a yearning for things that only hands can make. Elie Saab is a true creator—he just has that craft in his hands and you can see it.” Johansson recounted how, during one studio session, Saab picked up a single piece of black fabric and twisted, turned, and draped it into a bustier dress right on the mannequin. “It was really intriguing. After that, it was up to us to try to work out how he did it and to get it right. It’s harder than it looks. It was a real challenge for our pattern-maker—the bow and all the little details have to sit right, and there’s even a little handle on the train,” she explained.
By the same token, the H&M team pushed the envelope to translate the couturier’s flair for lavish embellishment into something that would feel both wearable and more crafted than what one might ordinarily expect from a high street fashion giant.
Some pieces, such as the black faux fur jacket, would not have been possible to produce even just a few years ago. “We learned a lot from our Balmain collaboration [in 2015]. We’ve been working ever since to elevate the process, and recycled fabrics are getting better and better, too,” Johansson said.
Versatility was also top of mind. Pieces like a double-breasted black jacket with a pleated cape back or a sequined brown-to-black bodysuit could easily do double duty with evening separates or jeans. Most of the lineup, such as as that black bustier dress in recycled polyester duchesse, a draped and twisted green chiffon top, a green sequined bustier, and embellished dresses also could, with proper care, look just as good many seasons down the line.
Which was the point, Saab and Johansson agreed. “Looking at the clothes, you see how the codes of the house have been translated, but it’s not about adapting one look, one collection or one style. They all come from the Elie Saab universe, so what you really see is a lifestyle,” Saab Jr. said. Added Johansson, “When you come together as two totally different companies, you can do things you might not achieve on your own.”
The Elie Saab H&M collection will land in selected H&M stores worldwide and online on October 22nd.
The highest-ticket item is a funnel-neck jacket in rich chocolate sheep leather that dissolves into black toward the waist (399€), which can be paired with a matching pencil skirt.
Photo: Courtesy of H&M
