Inside H&M’s Blowout Return to the Runway in London
Emily Ratajkowski arrived at H&M’s grand runway return in London, dubbed H&M&180, last night in a chic black suit. “I’m really feeling black and simple silhouettes—paring everything down,” said the model, writer, and actress just after stepping off the bright-red step-and-repeat. “I think there’s a lot of noise in fashion right now, and I’m gravitating toward simpler things.” Her favorite H&M piece, she added, is a classic blazer. “They’re the kind of thing you buy and think, ‘Oh, this is good.’ Then you end up wearing it all the time. Four years go by and you still have it.”
H&M’s blowout event was anything but simple, but the good news for Ratajkowski was that the runway was full of suiting. Supermodel Sara Choi wore a sharp brown check version, Alex Consani styled one over a sultry lace top, and in a standout moment, three glamazons marched in unison in feminine takes on 1980s Wall Street power suits. Still, the show offered something for everyone.
Seven hundred guests, including Ratajkowski, Gabbriette, Adwoa Aboah, and Lennon and Anaïs Gallagher, packed into stadium-style seating in a courtyard space in Central London. Giant screens bisected the runway, while a curated cast of in-demand models and It girls, including Consani, Paloma Elsesser, Amelia Gray, Iris Law, and Lila Moss, rounded out the lineup. Ratajkowski and Gabbriette led the cheering section every time a friend strutted past.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper London fashion event without a Beckham appearance. Middle son Romeo made his London runway debut.
Why London? The H&M Studio line was inspired by Brazil’s interpretation of Brutalism, a very British architectural movement. The final section, drawn from H&M Atelier, took cues from edgy sci-fi movies with an emphasis on black leather and lace. The middle section, pulled from H&M’s mainline collection, leaned into mid-90s Britpop and the “Cool Britannia” era. (All three will be in stores in October).
“It was all the creatives coming out of Central Saint Martins. Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and all those designers. It felt like it was really happening,” said Eliana Masgalos, the company’s design director, who studied at Central Saint Martins herself. “It was also so much fun to come here, go to vintage stores, and find inspiration in the markets. There’s a little bit of that in this collection too, with some Victorian references.”
This was H&M’s first proper runway since showing their own line in Paris and a Jeremy Scott collaboration in New York in 2018. The choice of London came after the design team had already begun drawing on the city’s fashion history as inspiration.
The show concluded with Lola Young, who had made her runway debut earlier in the evening, taking the stage to perform her hits “Messy” and “d£aler” (she was wearing an H&M blazer paired with a mini skirt, of course). Models took their final walk while dancing, with Consani and Elsesser prancing arm-in-arm.
We asked Ratajkowski whether New York or London had better style. “I think they're very different. I am going to have to say New York. The commute is so often on the street, and I think that just makes people really aware.” No word on whether the show changed her mind. She, along with other guests, got lost in the crowd at the Honey Dijon–DJ’ed after party.
