Dupli-Caught: Zara vrs Lanvin

Zara Face Tee Left, Lanvin Face Tee Center, Lanvin x H&M Tee Right

A recent trip to Zara surprised me because I spotted a familiar face.  The oft imitated design of Lanvin tee has been resurrected again without the blessing of Alber Elbaz.  I first spotted the tee in 2009 and it won my heart with the cheeky expression, soft bow and heart shaped lips.  And Forever 21 not being one to miss out on an opportunity promptly knocked off the tee without the bow and with many more heart graphics.  Then in 2010, Benetton surprisingly followed suit by copying the idea of tee and adding a graphic bow instead.  The tee continued to live when Alber Elbaz decided to give the public what they craved in a legitimate version through his collaboration with H&M at an affordable price point.  Now it's 2012 and perhaps Zara thought by now we would have forgotten about the origins of the face tee?  With a soft chiffon bow and wider set eyes, it's priced at $25.90.  While I have to admit even though a few years have passed since it's original incarnation, the face tee is so girly and adorable.  The question remains though after so many years do people still want this tee shirt?  Zara certainly thought so.  What are your thoughts?

Lanvin: 2011 Fall Campaign Video

Recently there's been a spike in designers compiling videos to promote their collections, campaignes, etc. Even our very own Lani and Erin starred in Katherine Kwei's video promoting her Lulu bag a while back!


However, the girls of Sugar Rock Catwalk are no match for Alber Elbaz's amazing dance moves. This is seriously one of the best videos I've seen in a while - Elbaz never ceases to amaze me...

Enjoy - (Elbaz comes on near the end...it's worth the wait!)



Have a great long weekend!

Spotted in Soho: 50% off Lanvin x H&M

A couple weeks ago, Jeff reported on Lanvin x H&M on 5th Ave by Rockefeller. Neither of us have been up there since then, but earlier tonight I stopped by H&M in Soho (on Broadway just south of Spring) in search of a pleather skirt and spotted a small rack of discounted Lanvin pieces.
There were a few coats and a few dresses, all 50% off, mostly size 8+.

I also stopped in the H&M further south on Broadway, past Spring, but I only spotted one Lanvin dress there. It was size 12 and full price. If either of us make it up to the H&M by Rockefeller, we'll be sure to post another update!

Last Chance: H&M x Lanvin

In case you didn't get a chance to check out or grab some of the fab H&M x Lanvin gear, you're in luck. The H&M on 5th Avenue by Rockefeller has quite a few pieces left in their store. Unfortunately there's nothing for men.

Anyways, the merch is on the third floor in the corner by the fitting room. There are several racks of dresses including the tulle ballerina poofy dress (red and grey), black one shoulder raw edge dress, zebra print trench and a few others.

Happy shopping!

H&M Lanvin: Launch

Today marked the official launch of the Lanvin collection for H&M. After a long week at work, I woke up at 6:00 am, dragged myself out of bed, put on on a hat and made my way down to SoHo. I was contemplating the night before which of the five locations to hit up and landed on SoHo since it's usually dead on the weekends during the mornings.

I arrived just before 7:00am and made my way to the back of the line. I was somewhere around the 70 person mark in line which was much better than I thought! It was pretty chilly outside but luckily, H&M was serving complimentary coffee and croissants to everyone willing to brave the weather for a piece of Lanvin.

They were also giving out Lanvin totes equipped with a complementary red H&M x Lanvin scarf!

As the clock struck 8am, I headed right for the men's section and ended up grabbing everything I could carry and ran to a quieter section of the store to try things on. While the SoHo location didn't house the full Lanvin line, all of the core pieces were available (vest and sweatpants excluded). The men's merchandise was quickly swiped up and by 8:30am not much was left.

After cashing out with my gear, I made my way downstairs to the ladies section. My allotted time was 9:05am so the timing ended up working nicely. Overall, I though that there were some nice pieces in the collection but the prices for the dresses were definitely a bit hefty. The majority of dresses contained a lot of unfinished edges which probably helped in controlling some production costs.

A few things that flew off the racks included the yellow one-shouldered dress, purple one-shouldered dress and the chandelier necklace (in both red and pink). I managed to pick up a couple things for some friends and quickly made my way out of the madness.

A little later on in the day I also made my way over to Herald Square where two of the H&M stores were also carrying the collection. The menswear in both stores was in better shape than SoHo with some button-up shirts, the odd blazer here and there and merino cardigans still on the racks.

If you didn't get a chance to check out the line, you might see a few pieces lingering around next week from customer returns.

H&M x Lanvin: Lookbook

H&M recently released their full lookbook for the Lanvin collection and so far I definitely like what I'm seeing! Lanvin = lux and the capsule collection with H&M is no exception.

For the guys:

In total there are 23 pieces in the men's collection comprised of a couple Ts, button up cardigans, dress shirts, blazers, tuxedo jackets, joggers and outerwear. The collection also houses 13 accessories (comprised mostly of neckwear) and shoes (lace-up patent dress shoes in fuchsia, cobalt, gold and black).

I love the updated tuxedo jacket with plunging satin lapel - it's a great piece that's versatile and comes in navy and creme for $149.

The shoes are fun but aren't for everyone and at $79.95, won't break the bank. Overall, the price points are similar to previous H&M designer collaborations. For a full pricing list, please click here.

For the girls:

Fun, flirty and frilly dresses, bold colors, and lots of LBDs with Parisian flare form the backbone of this collection. In total, there are 31 pieces (comprised mostly of dresses, skirts and outerwear) and 17 accessories and shoes.

Dresses will run anywhere from $99-$249, shoes are $99 and accessories will run anywhere from $9.95-$49.95. For a complete listing of the collection including prices, please click here.

All images courtesy of H&M

Can't wait to see this stuff in person!

First Look: Lanvin x H&M

Thanks to Fashin on the Live Journal community we have our first real look at the Lanvin x H&M Collaboration.  From what I can tell by the image above it will be a collection of perfect LBDs and jackets that will ease you into the Holiday season.  The looks definitely pull from some of the best of Alber Elbaz’s past collections as The Cut points out.  I have no problem with this as it is exactly what a capsule collection should be about - Taking the best of a designer and bringing the aesthetic to the public. Elbaz is a perfectionist and these are looks he has chosen for H&M he will carry it out to perfection.  After all he was previously quoted saying, “I have a problem to do a collection that is a secondary line. I mean, you don’t want to be the stepsister. You want to be Cinderella. Show me one girl who wants to be the stepsister”

So hoping to take my turn as Cinderella in the puff shoulder dress on the far left.  The line will comprise of 30 pieces and 15 accessories for women, and 25 pieces and 10 accessories for men.  Can’t wait to get my hands on it when it hits stores on November 23, 2010 at 200 H&M stores worldwide.