H&M’s latest designer collaboration with Indian designer Anamika Khanna, announced on Thursday, marks a special milestone for the Swedish fashion giant. Celebrating 20 years since its first designer collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, H&M has continued to push boundaries through partnerships with renowned designers such as Alexander Wang, Diane von Furstenberg and Stella McCartney. The collaboration with Anamika Khanna is H&M’s second with an Indian designer after Sabyasachi Mukherjee in 2021.
Kolkata-based Anamika Khanna launched her brand in 1998 and is considered one of India’s top designers. The collaboration comes as H&M approaches a decade in the Indian market, having launched there in 2015. Currently, H&M operates around 62 stores across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in the country.
Anamika Khanna’s signature eclecticism and flair for fusing glamour and craftsmanship with contemporary tailoring and luxurious loungewear is celebrated in this new H&M collaboration. The collection reimagines traditional silhouettes with a fresh and contemporary appeal, bringing the sartorial codes of India to a global customer. It includes womenswear, menswear, jewelry and accessories.
“I’ve always felt Indian fashion gets lost when interpreted by the rest of the world. Often, our fashion – in terms of the culture, the heritage of craft and textile embroideries – is regarded as costume or not wearable or modern enough. Things have changed a lot, and this collection with H&M allows me to take something Indian and make it global and contemporary,” says Anamika Khanna.
The eye-catching collection features flowing and flattering styles, vibrant colors, patterns and hand-embroidered embellishments. Womenswear exudes effortless elegance with draped skirts, airy caftans with asymmetrical or high-low hemlines, and silk pajama ensembles. For men, traditional cuts are refreshed with graphic prints, while painterly motifs elevate cool and carefree sportswear shapes.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, says: “Anamika Khanna designs clothes to encourage the wearer to express themselves. The silhouettes are fluid and draped, often in a way that can be personalised. The prints are also intriguing. She integrates many fully printed looks, combining traditional colour elements with something more graphic.”
Anamika Khanna’s signature dazzling embellishments are prominently featured in the collection, with a range of intricate jewelry including earrings, cuffs and necklaces cast in reclaimed metal and made locally in India.
Launching on September 5th, the Anamika Khanna x H&M collection will be available online at hm.com and in select countries, including 20 stores in India, as well as the UK, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. The collaboration aims to bring Indian design to these international markets.
Earlier this year, H&M launched a designer collaboration with Rok Hwang, who Johansson described as “at the forefront of a new wave of Korean designers” with his London-based brand Rokh.
Read more: HUGO x Les Benjamins collaboration celebrates interculturality for Fall/Winter 2024
©Photo: H&M
