Paris Fashion Week normally plays host to couture collections consisting of garments worth up to thousands of pounds, but H&M broke with tradition as they showcased their cut-price range in the City of Light on Wednesday night. A starry front row that included Ashley Olsen, Daisy Lowe, Pixie Geldof, Lizzie Jagger and Chloe Moretz was present as the Swedish high street retailer, renowned for their collaborations with high-end designers including Versace and Lanvin, unveiled 25 looks from its latest autumn/winter collection that is due to arrive in stores in September with prices as low as £9.99.
In the heart of the Musée Rodin, a catwalk show venue previously chosen by Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls and Arizona Muse were among the army of models to show off the brand's latest offerings. British beauty Cara, who is now on the last leg of her fashion week stint, modelled a sheer sequin-detailed black dress that was paired with thigh-high boots.
"When we started thinking about this collection we talked about drama – a kind of modern drama," said Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design at H&M. "There is a lot of tailoring but with a little bit of a bohemian feeling." Essentially, this collection was about "a gang of girls dressing up", she explained. "Borrowing things from their boyfriend's wardrobe, maybe their grandmother's and mixing them together to make an effortless and cool look. It's nothing new really, but it makes fashion fun." Fluffy black mohair jumpers, fringed skirts and velvet bolero jackets also featured in the short presentation.