Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M has picked Chinese fashion label Garçon By Garçon for its latest China collaboration. The decision was the result of the retailer’s in-depth partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week.
The 34-piece co-branded collection blends medieval mythological elements with traditional Eastern aesthetics, particularly the symbol of the sun. It features womenswear, menswear, unisex apparel, and accessories. It will be unveiled during the next edition of Shanghai Fashion Week, which runs from Oct 9.
“We are excited to welcome the upcoming collection,” said Dayun Tang, who launched Garçon By Garçon in 2017 after graduating from Studio Berço and working under John Galliano at Maison Margiela in Paris.
The brand now sells to 57 doors worldwide, such as SKP, Net-A-Porter, Galeries Lafayette, and Assemble by Réel, and is a popular pick among Chinese celebrities for public appearances. A jacket from the brand is priced between $450 to $1,350 while a t-shirt is being sold for around $110 to $200.
For the collection, Tang said he wants to continue focusing on craftsmanship and functionality while showing the brand’s aesthetics and the emotional value of clothing to the H&M customer.
“It is a collection that is both highly wearable, and which tells a story. We hope it will bring a breath of fresh air and expand consumers’ wardrobes, and we are excited to see it become a part of people’s lives,” added Tang.
Garçon By Garçon founder Dayun Tang
Courtesy of H&M
The collaboration marks H&M’s latest effort to show commitment to the Chinese market, where its popularity has suffered due to the Xinjiang cotton controversy in 2021.
For its high-profile partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week, H&M said it hopes to “expand the fashion industry’s possibilities with local designers, bring more attention and support to China’s new generation of fashion talent, and meet the diverse needs of consumers through this collaboration.”
In addition to buzzy crossovers, the brand last October unveiled a China design hub during the sixth edition of the China International Import Expo.
The hub is based in Shanghai and headed by Andreas Lowenstam, former head of menswear at H&M, who has worked on a slew of high-profile launches for the brand. With a design team on the ground, the hub is tasked with developing styles for the Greater China region, which comprises around 300 stores.
“We are so thrilled to collaborate with Garçon By Garçon on this aspirational fall/winter collection,” said Lowenstam.
“As one of the most talked-about Chinese designer brands, Garçon By Garçon has applied its expertise and iconic design aesthetic to this collection. We can’t wait to share these cutting-edge creations with fashion lovers and draw attention to the creativity and influence of young Chinese designers,” he added.
H&M, which entered mainland China in 2007, has been actively engaging with local fashion creatives since 2015 when Ximon Lee scored the H&M Design Award. The brand threw a high-profile launch event in Shanghai when the capsule hit the store.
It later worked with Angel Chen on a region-exclusive capsule and supported the Hu Fashion Forward Prize in 2021.