Tokyo has been quite the epicenter of fast fashion this year; first they get two architecturally-stunning H&M flagships in the Ginza and Harajuku districts, then their hometown girl Rei Kawakubo is chosen as the next guest designer, and finally they are granted the debut of the Comme des Garçons collection almost an entire week before the rest of the world.
Saturday's epic release of the CdG line coincided with the grand opening of the Harajuku store, drawing a mass crowd of more tha 2,000 eager Comme shoppers, helping to establish H&M's fashion cred among the notoriously choosey Nipponistas. WWD reported on the scene in Harajuku, and delivered a few juicy bits of information to continue the hype, like the fact that Rei herself was folding shirts and how they had stocked enough CdG goodies to last through the weekend.
No need to be jealous, however, as apparently our American stores will be getting the best deal with cheaper items. Says WWD of the wacky pricetags:
The collection's tuxedo jacket for example, retails for 15,990 yen, or $162.85 at current exchange. The same item will retail for $99.00 in the U.S. and 79.90 euros ($101.66) in much of the Eurozone.
Sweet! We are so on those cardigans. To better form your own plan for Thursday morning's release, let us recommend a few things: watch H&M's video of the Tokyo opening (with shopper interviews!), read the WWD article closely, and then follow the orderly Japanese lead on Thursday. The last things we want to deal with on Friday morning are riot reports and scuffed shoes.
· H&M's Comme des Garçons Collection Launches in Tokyo [WWD]
· Everything You Need To Know About the Comme des Garçons for H&M Launch [Racked]
· Billboards: Comme for H&M Looks Down on MePa [Racked]
· Finally: Up Close With Comme des Garçons for H&M [Racked]
· H&M Rolls Out Flashy Online Lookbook for Comme des Garçons [Racked]
· Early Rave Review of Comme des Garçons for H&M [Racked]
· Collabs: Comme for H&M is Dark and Moody [Racked]For more stories from Racked, go to racked.com.
