Press release

Iconic pieces and brilliant colour from Matthew Williamson for H&M

At H&M this Spring, Matthew Williamson will give full access to his exclusive world, with a women’s collection that brings together iconic pieces from his past collections with the brilliant colour of his brand new catwalk looks. From April 23, around 200 H&M stores worldwide will carry Williamson’s wardrobe of eclectic prints and vivid colour pieces full of the influences and inspirations of a global traveller. From dresses to tops, all-in-ones to the sharpest tailoring, this fashion collection has all the key pieces for Spring 2009.

“I wanted to create a strong urban collection fused with the brand’s signature symbols and shapes. It’s been fascinating to search back through my archives to isolate the most iconic pieces, then rework them for H&M. Colour is one of the defining aspects of my signature style, I focused on the iconic peacock motif seen across my collections to develop a palette of blues, chartreuse and emerald. The spirit of the collection is both covetable and precious", says Matthew Williamson.

“I think people will really love this collection. I love the way Matthew mixes prints in the dresses, and the colour-blocking of the tailoring. It’s very elegant, but there are lots of things you can wear in a really relaxed way, too. The mix and match of all the embroidery, the prints, the sequins and the colours makes all of the clothes very special", says Margareta van den Bosch, Creative advisor at H&M.

Matthew Williamson’s exclusive collection for H&M is full of the vibrancy that has made the London-based designer famous. Among Williamson’s favourite pieces is the bias-cut graphic butterfly print dress with grosgrain straps, which when worn with a cashmere cardigan with peacock embroidery over the shoulder is an update of an outfit from Williamson’s first ever show in 1997. Meanwhile the collection comes bang up to date with an electric blue tuxedo that takes on the bold colourblocking trend from Williamson’s most recent catwalk show. “It would inject freshness into the wearer’s look,” says Williamson, “whether it be worn over jeans, biker or cigarette pants”.

A metallic jacket and bubble skirt come in a jacquard specially woven for H&M, while a showstopping sequin, ultra-short dress is printed with bursts of colour that flow like liquid. Williamson’s beloved peacock insignia decorates a versatile jersey dress, while for evening Williamson recreates one of his most celebrated pieces, a beaded ruffle gown that comes in a vivid tiger butterfly print.

This exclusive collection for Spring is only the first part of Williamson’s collaboration with H&M. From May 14, the perfect wardrobe for summer will be available in around 1600 H&M stores worldwide. Williamson has also designed a full menswear collection for H&M and this will mark his debut into menswear.

Price examples:

Grosgrain strap dress €69.90

Cashmere cardigan €69.90

Tuxedo jacket €99

Metallic jaquard jacket €99

Bubble skirt €59.90

Trousers €59.90

Shorts €39.90

All-in-one €199

Jersey dress €69.90

Sequin dress €199

Ruffle gown €299

For more information please contact H&M’s press service:
E-mail: mediarelations@hm.com
Telephone: +46 8 796 53 00