Swedish "fast-fashion" chain H & M made a big splash when it opened in Ginza in September and the line just to get into the store continues to be 30-minutes long. The company has added to its brood with a new youth-oriented store in Harajuku, kicking it off with a collaboration with Japanese label Comme des Garcons.
On Nov. 8, the day of the store's opening, the CDG collection of polka-dot deconstructed men's and women's pieces was rolled out a whole week ahead of the rest of the world. CDG was one of the revolutionary avant-garde brands that swept over fashion in the 1980s and continues to hold cult status. (The collaboration unsurprisingly sold out after more than 1,500 fans lined up three days ahead of the rollout).
The CDG collection highlights the success high fashion can reap from fast fashion, a perfect fit for H&M, which is enjoying the rapt attention of consumers who once flocked to luxury brands. The only H&M/CDG pieces still available in Japan are to be found on online auctions, but part of H&M's main line was inspired by the collaboration and sports the store's incredibly reasonable prices. As H&M country manager Christine Edman says, "The Japanese consumer loves fashion, and we love to give them that within everyone's reach." (Misha Janette)