Thursday marked the arrival of the latest high-street designer collaboration with the launch of the highly anticipated Alexander Wang for H&M collection.
The release resulted in nothing short of delirium from the dedicated campers outside H&M in the cold early hours to the crashing of the website 10 minutes prior to the line going live. By Thursday afternoon the website was up and running but minus the majority of the collection which had sold out and is already listed on eBay at twice the price. But does this hotly anticipated collaboration live up to expectations and worthy of such a fashion frenzy?
The coveted collection includes a womenswear line of 38 pieces featuring sweatshirts, mesh-panelled leggings, cropped bra tops, scuba dresses, parkas and leather joggers. As well as this there are a range of accessories and everyday objects such as a yoga mat, boxing gloves and duffle bag.
The palate of the collection is nearly all black and grey, a colour combination that I’ll admit to finding particularly underwhelming. However, on closer inspection you’ll find reflective aspects hidden amongst the grey, particularly noticeable on the sports top and scuba figure-hugging dress. This subtle incorporation captures Wang’s nighttime-sportswear inspiration and creates a realistic gym to saturday night versatility.
The most impressive aspect has to be the material itself. Neoprene and scuba fabrics heavily feature in the line and Wang has definitely succeeded in his endeavour to craft true performance wear. The collection is of enduring material with quick-drying running tops would definitely hold up should you wish to adorn them in your early morning gym session.
The true versatility and quality of the collection was positively received by Refinery29 who described the collaboration as ‘cool, sporty and boundary-pushing’, finding that it successfully translates the contemporary, sports-wear inspired edge Wang is renowned for.
However, the collection will definitely not be for everyone and, dare I say, that I was left feeling somewhat disappointed. The bleak colour palette gives the impression of a clothing line that is distinctly normal. Other than the odd reflective strip, the only breakage to the sea of black is an overbearing logo. From the sports bra and tights to jacquard knit dress and skirt, every item is emblazoned with the ‘WANG’ stamp and there appears to have been too much branding and too little design. If you leave your house fully decked out in the collection you may run the risk of being mistaken for an Alexander Wang advertisement.
The price, whilst expensive in terms of the bounds of student budget, remains unpretentious for an Alexander Wang piece. However, certain items are priced slightly more reasonably than others and the outerwear is particularly overpriced for what you get. All the jackets are oversized and bulky with the cheapest being a black, unoriginal anorak that is still going to set you back £99, without a doubt there are definitely far better looking and more affordable winter coats on the market. Two pieces I would say are worthy of investment are the scuba fit or perforated patten dresses, both have a slightly more distinct design that I feel offers more for your money. Overall, if any of this sport-luxe collection catches your eye its definitely going to be a workout for your student loan.
Devon Martin
Follow Impact Style on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Images: www.hm.com/gb
