The highly anticipated Kenzo x H&M collaboration landed at more than 250 H&M locations (including at Atlanta’s Atlantic Station store) yesterday at 10 a.m., and around the world, fashion fans went wild.
When sales went live, H&M’s site crashed. In London, crowds were controlled with wristbands, and queuing customers were admitted in ten-minute intervals. In some cities, devotees camped out the night before to be first in line, and inside, there were accounts of mad grabs and panicky snatches. Once coveted items sold out in major cities, they appeared on eBay for many times the retail price.
But yesterday as of 5 p.m., Atlantic Station’s H&M store had sold out of exactly one sweater. The bright (garish, even), jungle-themed, animal-printed collection appeared nearly fully stocked, neatly stacked on a central table flanked by tidy racks of some of the hottest pieces in a multitude of sizes. A couple of shoppers leisurely thumbed through the wares. Store clerks said around 45 people had lined up for the opening at 10 a.m., but the shop never experienced the mayhem seen in other cities.
Photograph by Mary Logan Bikoff
That brings up a couple of questions. Are Atlantans simply not interested in the collection that broke the Internet? Is it too garish and loud for our Southern palates? (Hot pink zebra stripes aren’t for everyone.) Or are they unaware, situated outside of major fashion capitals and overlooked by big advertising pushes? In any case, lovers of designer fashion at reasonable prices can rejoice, because here, you can do the getting where the getting is good.
Kenzo, founded in Paris in 1970 by Japanese designer Takata Kenzo, has been under the direction of cult-status designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon since 2011. The celeb-beloved creative directors have resuscitated much of the aesthetic of the brand’s eighties heydey, apparent in this loud, neon collection for H&M. Chloe Sevigny and Chance the Rapper starred in the ad campaign. A runway show and bash last month saw VIPs like Lupita N’yongo and Elizabeth Olsen front row wearing the new garb. Star-studded parties in West Hollywood and New York kicked off sales Wednesday evening, all jacking up the energy behind the release.
But some of those coveted, celeb-touted pieces can still be found on the racks in Atlanta. Our faves? A reversible quilted kimono jacket ($299), Kenzo logo shirts (emblazoned with its signature tiger, $34.99), wildly printed silk kimonos ($349), a black embellished sweater seen on Chance the Rapper ($99) a petticoat-like mini dress worn by Lupita N’yongo ($299), and a PJ set ($149.99) seen on Elizabeth Olsen. There are also still plenty of accessories, including keychains, scuba-material pouches, and predictably weird oversize flip flops with toe socks. Those leather shopping totes now on eBay for nearly $450? Still on the shelves at Atlantic Station for $129.
