Hey Bombers and Bombshells!
I’m back from the sound and the fury that was the Lanvin x H&M collection here in Atlanta! There wasn’t a huge crowd down at Atlantic Station, so I was optimistic that I’d be able to purchase the faux fur jacket and leopard print heels I’d been eyeing since I first saw the full collection a few weeks ago. After waking up early and waiting in the cold for almost two hours, I didn’t have much luck, even though I was part of the second group let in.

But let’s start at the beginning.

I woke up at 5am this morning, put on some comfortable shoes, and hit the road. Though I initially thought stores opened at 10am, Danielle thankfully alerted me last night that the store had special extended hours and would open at 8. I arrived at 6:30am and was relieved to see there weren’t too many people in line.

With time to kill, I decided to interview a few peeps.

My first subject was Damalia who looked nice and warm in a down comforter and sweats:

She didn’t call herself a Lanvin fan per se, but she said she saw the collection on her H&M application on her Iphone, and fell in love with a few looks. She explained away her early wake up time by saying, “I’m used to getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning for work anyway.” She had a skirt, shoes, a fur vest, and bracelets on her wishlist.

I next talked to Nancy, Angela, and Catie (who actually reads the Fashion Bomb!)

These three had driven two hours from Birmingham, Alabama to partake in the festivities. Fashion devotees Nancy and Catie showed up mainly for the shoes, though both loved the purple and yellow one shoulder dresses. Angela, good friend that she is, was there for moral support.

My other linemates were Tevin and Tyrone, juniors at Clark Atlanta University:

Ty is a fashion designer, and Tevin is a buyer. They pulled an all nighter studying for an exam, and decided to pop up for the men’s collection. They both wanted to add blazers in cream and black  and brown lace up shoes to their style arsenals.

After, H&M employees graciously served a breakfast of muffins and orange juice:

Then we were given our wristbands.


I thought myself lucky to be in the second group of shoppers, who would be able to browse the collection from 8:20-8:35.
Doors opened like clockwork at 8am, and everyone was let inside. A security guard protected the collection, which was partitioned off in a super duper tiny area:

I watched with a heavy heart as I saw my fur fly off the shelves. I was left to stare at one lonely option from outside the barricade.

By the time my group was left in, there was barely anything there. No faux fur. Hardly any shoes. And there were plenty of dresses, but it seemed the biggest size was a 6. I dejectedly picked up a few tees and brought them to the dressing room.

This shirt was $40 and très cute. It captured the essence of the collection and…it fit.

I wasn’t initially sold on this option, but figured I’d get lots of use out of it. Besides, we all know how I feel about t-shirts.
As I came out of the fitting room, I saw a few furs sitting around. I asked the sizes, and they were a 4 and a 6! I’m at least a 10, so those wouldn’t have worked for me.
All in all, I was disappointed in the lack of larger sizes. I asked an H&M employee (and Fashion Bomb reader) if they even stocked the faux fur coat I wanted in a 10 or 12. She said they didn’t, and the only sizes they received were for ‘little people who don’t eat‘ (her words, not mine!)

If this is true, it seems strange. Alber Elbaz, who designs for Lanvin, is known for being one of the…rounder designers, and once told the New Yorker, “I am overweight, so I am very, very aware of what to show and what not to show, and I am sure there is a huge link with being an overweight designer and the work I do. My fantasy is to be skinny.”

Perhaps it was his fantasy as well that the masses of people who bought his collection for H&M would be skinny too?

At any rate, this was just my perception from the Atlantic Station store in Atlanta. Perhaps since we’re a smaller city, they just didn’t have enough stock. Period. Who knows, maybe a bunch of size 10 or 12 girls were in the first heat and took everything. It’s possible.

In the end, I’m happy with my purchases…and on the bright side, I didn’t spend a ton. That’s always good news.
Tell me about your experiences and what you bought!

Smootches!

25 thoughts on “Claire’s Life: The Lanvin x H&M Collection at Atlantic Station in Atlanta”

  1. I braved the cold at the DC store and was able to find the black skirt and black ruffle dress w/ a bejeweled neckline in a 10. My friend also found the skirt in a 12. Another chick snatched the cutest plum ruffle dress from me which also was a 10…argh! I would’ve jacked her for it in a dark alley j/k. All and all, they had bigger sizes but the entire selection was minimal and thus disappointing.

  2. Aww, sorry to hear about the fur! You never know, it just may find its way to you somehow… maybe? Cute t-shirt!

  3. WOOHOO! Got my stuff. I was at the NYC Lex/59th St. location from 4:45am. I was in the 2nd color code line and it was CRAAAAAAZY!! I was able to get my pumps w/ turquoise ribbon (they fit excellent), the tee w/ the legs on it, and the sheer bolero/crop jacket. Plus the burgundy lipstick. Very happy w/ my purchases!!! Yipeeeeee ;-)

    Remembering to say LONVOOOON. Yes I was mispronouncing, LOL.

  4. I sadly overslept this morning. I had plans on going to the H&M on 86th and Lexington for 6 a.m. but woke up at 11:40 a.m. instead *smh*

    I did go to that H&M and the one on 59th and Lex around 2/3 P.M. and they surprisingly still had a few pieces left, but mainly from the mens collection. The cashier gave me a Lanvin for H&M garment bag though after she rang up my purchase of a bracelet and a pair of tights (from regular H&M line)…lol.

    I’m kicking rocks right now that I didn’t get any of the four lipsticks. No that I don’t already have 50 million lippies already, but still…lol.

    Great recap, Claire :)

  5. Hey Claire! I was in the second group as well, and thought I spotted you. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself since I thought I looked horrible! You did catch me in your 1st photo though — I’m the one in the gray sweatpants sitting on the ground with my legs stretched out lol

    Anyway, I got there at about 6, and was really anxious to see if anything I wanted would be available. I would have loved a dress, but I’m limited on funds and need to still remember that Black Friday is next week. Luckily, I was able to get everything on my wish list! :D
    1. Shirt with embellishments (Didn’t care which one). I got the one with the legs on it for myself, and the one with the faces on it for my sister.
    2. Tube skirt with side ruffle in black. I was going to get the taupe, but it was very thin and see through!
    3. Leopard print heels. I’m actually a size 6, but they only had a 7 left. I tried it on and since it ties with a strap, it doesn’t fall off and there isn’t too much extra space :D

  6. @Frost Haha, you shoulda come and said hi!!! Glad you got all you wanted. Though I was kicking rocks afterwards, I’m glad I didn’t have a reason to dang near deplete my bank account! And the shirts are cute, I’ll live.

  7. I actually went to the H&M in Orlando,FL to find that NOBODY WAS SHOPPING THERE….even though the store was open at 8am….i was able at 10:30am still find a black ruffle skirt in a size 10 but i need an 8 will see if my mom can take it in if not…TAKING IT BACK when i hit up MYC on tuesday…I also got the embellish t-shirt and also got to tote bags for my mom and sis. Had an issue with a MEANIE H&M employee and the asst manager witnessed this and gave me two garment bags and said 1 MILLION SORRY for the bad worker…lol But at the one in Orlando SIZES OR INVEMTORY was not a problem…but i didnt think sercurity was neccessary

  8. I see H&M Regent St. has a big window display!

    Alas I’m waiting for the 23rd at 0700 hrs to shop online

  9. @sun.kissed
    Those freakin prices are ridic! $225 dollars for a pair of H&M shoes?
    I don’t think so. Don’t care if their from Lanvin lol

    Anyways I wasn’t too interested in hittin up the collection cuz I know I would have seen a million girls wearing the same exact same thing as me n that’ll piss me off lol
    But I’m glad (some) folks got what they wanted!

  10. Wasn’t really a fan of the tees when the pics of the collection started leaking online, but they look totally cute on you! The girl in the sweats and blanket is too funny, had I been brave enough to stand the cold in the wee hours I would’ve done the same.

  11. Hi Claire!

    I could not drag myself out of bed early enough on Sat. I also live in the ATL area and I made it to the store at around 1130am (I know…late). There was pretty much nothing left but coats and one dress that was not in my size (I wear a 4 and all they had left were 2’s). All the T-shirts and accessories were gone…but plenty of shoes were left. I went to the mens section to look for something for my hubby, but it was too boring up there. So I left with a some random dress, a knit cap, and a fur vest. All in all, I am sure I will catch some item from the line via E-Bay or the Mall of GA opening.

  12. hey i resent the h&m store workers commentary…not everyone who is a smaller size is starving themselves, i’m a 4/6 and you best believe i love to eat! i think it’s sad that they didn’t stock more of the larger sizes. anyway i wasn’t apart of the h&m festivities because there is no h&m where i go to school, but even when i’m in nyc i’m loathe to have to get up early and pay a lot of money for slim pickings. i’m glad that some folks got what they wanted but these collections at h&m are not for me.

  13. i want to ask how the shopping is organised?
    there is an area where all the clothes and accessories are set?
    where you enter with your bracelet?
    orrr there are 2 places?one area with security where you enter with your bracelet and the other area which is open to all braceletes and people simultaniously?
    because i have been to jimmy choo for h m and was like that……thnks!!!!!

  14. I’m gutted went to the website at 7am today (UK Time) and it had crashed, an hour later everything is sold out! Claire do you know if they’ll be restocking?
    Most of the items are already on ebay for 3 times the original retails price **crying**

  15. I did not make it to the Lanvin collection debut, however, I did shop the Sonia Rykiel collabo collection in February of this year and did notice that they only had sizes XS, S, & M. Thankfully, the silhouettes of most of the items were very loose & forgiving, so the two Sonia Rykiel sweater dresses I bought in size M fit me very loosely, however, I wonder if the diffusion collections are geared towards the thinner population as we all know high fashion targets the thinner framed women.

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