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H&M’s new designer range is gone in 60 minutes
Olivia Cole and Sri Carmichael23.04.09
London shoppers cleared the shelves of the latest designer collection at H&M in a single frenzied hour today.
Customers had queued from 6am to snap up British designer Matthew
Williamson's first range for the high street chain at its flagship Regent Street store.
When the doors opened at 9am the crowd rushed in and cleared the racks, took clothes off mannequins, and scoured the fitting rooms hoping to spot any discarded garments, in scenes echoing those caused by Kate Moss's first collection for Topshop in 2007.
By 10am there was practically nothing left of the range in any of the participating H&M stores, including Oxford Circus, Bond Street, Knightsbridge and Kensington High Street.
Today's sell-out followed the buzz last night when celebrities such as Sienna Miller, Jaime Winstone and Mischa Barton joined crowds at a ticketed preview of the range in the Regent Street store.
Speaking last night, 38-year-old Williamson heralded his range, priced under £200, as the antidote to the credit crunch. He said: “The economy at the moment is crap but look at this — it's a ray of light. I thought there would be 50 girls here.”
Since his 1998 London Fashion Week debut, Manchester-born Williamson, who is credited with reinventing the “boho” look, has dressed women such as his close friend and muse Miller, Kate Moss and Barton.
The range is the latest in a line of H&M collaborations with designers including Roberto Cavalli, Victor & Rolf and Comme des Garçons. Williamson said: “I put my heart and soul into creating a collection for the high street that is the DNA of what I have done over the years.”
The most popular designs were an olive green leather jacket (£149.99), a ruffle maxi dress (£199.99) and a blue trouser suit (jacket £69.99, trousers £49.99). A spokesman for H&M said of today's launch: “All our designer collections have sold out quickly but this one has probably been snapped up the fastest.”
Nearly 90 of the items were already being touted on eBay by lunchtime today, some at triple the retail prices. A pink silk tulip dress with a store price of £69.99 was being offered under the “Buy it now” instant sale option at £169.99. A feather pendant necklace worth £14.99 was being sold at more than triple that, at £49.
Barton, a long-time fan of Williamson, said: “What I love about a piece by Matthew is that you can immediately identify it as by him. If you look at the beading and embroidery, the amount of work that goes in is incredible.”
She welcomed the more affordable line, adding: “People don't necessarily want to be buying couture at the moment. It's fantastic that this is here.”
