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29 March 2024

High heels come down to earth with H&M

Shoppers gather in front of the H&M fashion store for the launch of Jimmy Choo's exclusive collection for H&M in Lausanne, Switzerland. (AP)

Published
By David Tusing

From London to Shanghai, after causing quite a buzz around the world, a special collection of shoes and clothes exclusively designed by luxury brand Jimmy Choo for high street retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) will go on sale tomorrow in Dubai and elsewhere in the Middle East, local partners have revealed.

A favourite of celebrities and the well-heeled all over the world, Jimmy Choo shoes in particular are much coveted, and known for their relatively high price points. The collaboration with H&M will introduce a much more affordable line of clothes, bags and men's shoes.

Major fashion players such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli have created their individual collections for Swedish fashion giant H&M in the past. The limited-edition collection will be available in 200 stores worldwide.

"The Jimmy Choo collection for H&M is full of fun, one-off items with an accessible and glamorous identity. I wanted to create pieces that would reach a cool and young customer with a fashionable and independent sense of spirit in this one-time collaboration," said Tamara Mellon, Founder and President, Jimmy Choo.

Margareta van den Bosch, the creative advisor at H&M said she wanted to offer her customers a full collection, including men's shoes and clothes. "I think this collection suits anyone with a flair for fashion and high heels."

Meanwhile, H&M on Monday posted an unexpected three per cent drop in sales at established stores in October, blaming the economic conditions in some of its major markets.

"The continued recession affected sales differently across H&M's markets," the company said. "Sales in Scandinavia, Central Europe and Asia were very satisfactory, while most other markets, primarily France, Spain and the US, had a continued weak sales development."

In Germany, H&M's largest market, apparel sales jumped 12 per cent in the month, according to industry journal Textilwirtschaft. In Sweden, its third biggest market, the index for clothing sales was up 6.4 per cent. HM does not release absolute sales figures, only the percentage change in local currencies.

Jimmy Choo was founded in 1996 by Mellon and Malaysian fashion designer Jimmy Choo.

Choo sold his 50 per cent stake in the company in 2001. In 2007, the company was sold to a private equity firm, for an estimated £185 million (Dh1.14 billion).

Mellon, a former accessories editor at the British version of fashion magazine Vogue, is now rumoured to be worth £100 million.

H&M's Middle East franchise is owned by the retail arm of Kuwait-based Alshaya Group. (With input from agencies)

 

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