Balmaination

This is the 11th collaboration with a French fashion house. What are the challenges you think will arise to translate high fashion, what you are famous for, into high street?

To tell you the truth, creating this collection was more of a reward than a challenge to me. I was so happy and honoured to be asked to collaborate with H&M, and to be able to share my brand with the world. The challenge was for H&M to produce the craftsmanship and detailing that is part of the Balmain DNA, and they really pushed themselves to do such an incredible job. It was a really emotional moment for me when I first saw the samples, because it showed how much they understood and respected Balmain, and that with us there can never be any compromise.

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You have been close to the Kardashian family, what makes them epitomise the spirit of your brand? Specially Kendall Jenner.

I love the Kardashians so much and am so happy to call them my friends. They are so strong and fearless, and push against the boundaries of pop culture, which is exactly what Balmain stands for. I loved having Kendall and Jourdan with me at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas to announce the collaboration. I had been keeping the secret for so long it was such a relief to be able to share it with the world. I admire Kendall so much, and how she has become such a major force in fashion.

You are in your 20s and you have a million followers how does that help you further the label's interests?

Balmain for me is about mixing the traditions and craftsmanship of a Parisian luxury house with a young attitude and the energy of pop culture. I want Balmain to be for the new generation, for the kids who share their lives on social media and connect with their icons and the brands they love. Social media is part of my life, and it's the way I express my feelings. I love that I can connect with all my followers around the world. Balmain is a label of luxury and exclusivity because it is so expensive, but it is also inclusive of everyone who wants to follow me on Instagram, and be part of the pop culture world of Balmain.

There are always military motifs and oodles of sex appeal in Balmain...what will you include in H & M range for both men and women?

When we agreed to the collaboration I already knew exactly what I wanted to do. My followers on Instagram always tell me exactly what they want from Balmain, and what they don’t want. With this collaboration, I wanted to give them everything they’ve ever dreamed of wearing. That means the most incredible embellishment and embroidery, strong-shouldered tailoring, leather jackets, oversized and masculine coats. For women we have draped pieces in velvet and silk, while for men there’s a streetwear feel to hoodies and trackpants. Everything in the collection has an effortless feeling, and a really cool young attitude.

You have been a long advocate of diversity in fashion, will this take you a step further to achieving what you wanted?

I am so happy that H&M has asked Balmain to collaborate, because H&M is all about diversity. They are in so many countries around the world, creating a global fashion community. For me it is natural to have diversity in everything that I do in Balmain. With H&M, we will be able to show that diversity to the whole planet. Together we have created the #HMBalmaination, to bring everyone together as one nation.

Creative Advisor, H&M, Sweden Ann Sofie

What are your plans for the Indian market?

We see great potential for the Indian market, and I really look forward to the opening of our first store and the response from our Indian customers.

What has been your understanding of the changing tastes of women here? We can't wait to open our first store in India and to join in the conversation about fashion and style! It's really exciting for us to be able to introduce H&M to the Indian market. The biggest trend globally is personal style, and we love it when people wear H&M in their own way. We love to see what people are wearing when they post pictures on Instagram of their look, and we hope everyone who shops at H&M in India will show us their style!

What will be the repertoire of offerings from H & M in India?

Our customers in India will get the full H&M experience, with the best seasonal fashion and ever-changing ideas on how to update your style. H&M in India will have the full range of our collections, from our catwalk H&M Studio range, our Conscious pieces that focus on more-sustainable fashion and, of course, the Balmain x H&M collection on November 5.

What is the challenge converting a luxury brand into a high-street label?

With each of our collaborations, we want to give our customers a true experience of the brand without any compromise. That means each year we push ourselves harder to create each collection, and the Balmain X H&M collaboration includes some of the most highly realised pieces we’ve ever created. It is lots of hard work and takes great dedication, but the results are always worth it. When we first revealed the samples of the collection to Olivier, it was an amazing moment. It was like he couldn’t believe what we had achieved. It was something that made us feel very proud.