Remember the Stella McCartney and Liv Tyler ‘Rock Royalty’ tee that hit the Met Gala carpet back in 1999? It’s back, studs and all. You can thank (or blame) H&M and McCartney for that. The duo reunites nearly 20 years after their first collaboration, H&M’s second-ever, right after Karl Lagerfeld. And if history repeats itself, May 7 won’t be pretty. Unless you enjoy queues.
That top isn’t the only familiar-looking piece of the collection. And when a Stella McCartney tag is on the back, the grass is always greener. Clothes too. Take it from the crystal-studded pieces that look a lot like Spring 2023, now coming in 80% recycled-glass crystals. Or the snakeskin-inspired bomber jacket, for which leather is off the table, replaced by materials like Ecowel, a polyurethane coating made from recycled vegetable oils, and Biofleax, which turns agricultural waste like straw into fabric. For the Falabella bag lovers (and there are many), a more accessible version will sit on shelves in recycled polyamide, designed to rely a little less on fossil fuels.
“I hate how elitist the fashion industry is. I want a younger and wider audience to have access to my stuff. People tell me they love my stuff all the time but they can’t afford it. [..] This is not the cheapest of the cheap because there is a price that comes with doing anything good. But it’s an access area for more people,” the designer told The Guardian.
Let’s not forget, 2005 saw McCartney drop into London and play stylist to her own fanbase, dressing them on the spot. Not far off, Gwyneth Paltrow and Hilary Duff moved through the city in identical $35.99 denim, indistinguishable from the Stella crowd squeezed into the Tube. That part of the story will, in fact, repeat itself. Although the celebrity cameos might be missing, the designer will be stopping by a number of H&M stores, assisting shoppers firsthand.
