EVERY ONE X SABYA DEMOCRATISING FASHION

IN A FASHION FIRST, NEXT MONTH MARKS THE LAUNCH OF H&M’S LINE WITH SABYASACHI MUKHERJEE, ITS DEBUT COLLABORATION WITH AN INDIAN DESIGNER. MADE FOR THE NEW TRIBE OF GLOBAL NOMADS, THIS COLLECTION, TITLED WANDERLUST, IS INCLUSIVE, GENDER-FLUID AND CONSCIOUS. SHAHNAZ SIGANPORIA TAKES A LOOK

- SHAHNAZ SIGANPORIA

Fanny packs snake around kaftan-style dresses in muted tones, signet rings and stacked wrists garnish unlikely co-ords, and layers of cool chintz find tailored denims. H&M finally gets its first Indian designer collaboration—and its first sari—with Sabyasachi. The high-street behemoth and India’s favourite couturi-er update street styles with an inherent local-global voice via easy separates and artisanal detailing. Celebrating the age of the global nomad, of borderless fashion and inclusive identities, it’s easy to predict a soldout collection. So mark April 16, the day Sabyasachi X H&M’s Wanderlust launches online and in stores. Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Janne Einola, H&M’s country manager, India, talk couture versus prêt, bringing the slow into fast fashion, and how this will become the definitive collection of the season.

Shahnaz Siganporia: Whether Christian Louboutin or Pottery Barn, your collaborations strategically bring together the best of two distinct worlds. How did the H&M collection come about and what does this mean for brand Sabyasachi?