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!
