Thursday 15 November 2012

H&M x Maison Martin Margiela launch in Singapore + What to look for if you’re buying online

So just like I expected, H&M’s collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela (the emcee kept insisting it was re-edition of previous iconic pieces from various seasons) was not as commercially successful as the previous two (Versace and Marni) in Singapore. In fact, after a good few hours, it was nowhere near to sold out and except for the candy clutch (which was gone by 10:30), by 2pm all the styles were still available in most sizes and in big quantities.

The queue started overnight but this time it was not as big and even when I got to H&M at 10:15am, there was just one line of people waiting. So what happened to the Singaporean fashionable crowd?

Maybe it was the rain – although we got given umbrellas when it started raining – which discouraged people from turning up. But I think it more has to do with the fact that the clothes were mostly heavy and not suitable for Singapore’s tropical weather and that MMM is not as mainstream choice for the H&M usual customers.


At around 10am, the queue was significantly less than last H&M Marni collaboration.

Every item has a description plate indication which MMM season
it was a re-edition of.
Even though we were protected from the rain, the sweet H&M staff gave
each an umbrella :-)


H&M water bottle anyone?

The launch was as organized as now I expect it to be judging by the last two launches. From the very helpful and cheerful staff handing water bottles and umbrellas, updating us on the situation and waiting time, to letting people inside batches and giving them 10 minutes each to pick what they wanted. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. But seriously though, I wouldn’t have queued all night!

Once in, I picked up the pieces I was eyeing and went to try them on and test the fit, quality, size etc… and of course see if there is any worth buying.


First glimpse of the inside... very organized!


There was even an emcee to ensure the crowd were informed and entertained...

Even before getting in, staff were showing accessories to the waiting crowd to make their
decision making quicker...


So for those of you contemplating buying some of the pieces in the shops or on ebay (already there are a few!), here are a few things you might want to take into consideration regarding certain pieces:

- Shoes run one size small: I’m normally a size 36 but with the plexi heel pumps, the 36 was too small and 37 fit perfectly. It might be that my feet were swollen from standing? But I do think you should consider getting a size bigger for the shoes.

- A lot of the dresses had no zippers or buttons so it has to be slipped on. Examples are the fusion of 2 dresses, the maxi Trompe l'oeil print dress, the car seat dress, etc… while it is not a problem with the loose fitting numbers, the car seat number for example might be harder to slip on since it’s more fitted.


The fusion of 2 dresses black number was really cool and the
material looked expensive. A little more cleavage than I thought though

Oh and needs some heels for sure!!!

Loved the fit of the car seat dress! Really beautiful...

The back was open with side pieces making it look like a car seat
hence the name...

Donno how I missed this  Trompe l'oeil dress in the lookbook!
This is something that is definitely my style with the print of a sequinned
gown...decided against it at the end as it felt a little loose even in UK6!

- The bra-bodice would only be suitable for those with very small busts (I would say a small B cup at max). It is way too tight and crushing on the bust area – I tried it but too embarrassing to post the photo lol – and the material is sooo unforgiving!!

- The red hitched up dress looks gorgeous but avoid it if you’re too petite as it has too much fabric.

- Leather bags looked a bit cheap and really underwhelming! No wonder there were still loads left by early afternoon...


This was really cool! Loved the colour and cut but felt it was drowning
me a little... also maybe a little loose for my taste!



- From my guy friends’ input, the belts jacket was too heavy and a bit uncomfortable as the seams on the shoulders were too thick so unless you wear something very thick underneath, it might be annoying.

- The women’s black and beige leather jacket looks a bit cheap.

- The narrow shoulder jacket and the mannequin jackets run a bit small as well so recommended to get a size bigger than what you normally wear especially if you want to wear something underneath.


The leather jackets (think it is faux leather) didn't look very appealing upclose...

Other than that, the shoes looked amazing and really well made! Honestly though I felt hesitant spending that much money on them having bought designer shoes for that price before.

After trying some pieces and having more time to roam around for a bit (the queue barrier was taken off at noon) I was deciding between the ball gown printed maxi dress and the lack fusion of 2 dresses frock after some contemplation I went for the later as it really looked cool plus I know I would wear it more often! Only thing is the cleavage on that dress is really low so might need a little stitch or a tube top underneath ;-)

All in all, my verdict is: I liked the idea of H&M collaboration with a less mainstream designer label but some of the style were a bit too edgy for mainstream crowd at least in Singapore. I’m sure the collection will be sold out in places like NY and London much faster than here but again, the key pieces in this collaboration were a bit heavy. Most of the items looked well made but the price was a bit too high so unless you're a true Margiela fan, you would be hesitant on paying a few hundred dollars per item.


My only purchase: the 2 dresses fusion! Loved the quirkiness of
this dress and will certainly be rocking it soon ;-)
The dress - like every piece of clothing - came with an engraved
wooden hanger and a well-made MMM for H&M dust cover :-)