H&M links up with Stella McCartney again, previews collab at Fashion Awards

H&M announced its latest designer link-up on Monday and chose a high-profile event to preview it. Exactly 20 years after the fashion chain first collaborated with Stella McCartney, the company shared news of its next collaboration at the Fashion Awards in London. It will go on sale next spring.

And stars from the fashion, tech and music worlds unveiled a first glimpse of it on the red carpet. Amelia Gray, Anitta, Emily Ratajkowski, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Bel Priestley, Alton Mason and Kiara Nirghin were all in attendance, dressed in looks from the upcoming collection. 

Ratajkowski wore a black mini dress with draped cape detailing across the shoulders. Gray wore a sparkly lace and crystal-effect mini dress in beige. And Anitta wore a custom-made twist on an upcoming collection item: a floor-length red gown with a looping silhouette that connects shoulder to hemline. 

The 2005 collab with McCartney was only H&M’s second designer partnership but it’s now an experienced player in this particular area and its confidence shows through in the way it chose to publicise the new project.

The retailer also said that the collection will feature certified, responsible materials — many of which are recycled — showcasing examples of alternatives for conventional fabrics and textiles. 

And it added that the latest link-up “marks a reconceptualisation of the H&M designer collaboration, extending the dialogue beyond the creation of a collection and placing a specific focus on advocating sustainability, through discussion, debate and action”.

On that subject, there’s now a new Insights Board — “an initiative bringing together different voices and perspectives from across the fashion industry, to create a space for curiosity and listening”.

This board also “aims to find new ways for brands, and for the industry as a whole, to influence and ideate change, as well as to further raise awareness for animal welfare and innovation-driven solutions”.

McCartney herself said of all this: “Reworking pieces from my archive brought back so much energy and joy. This second partnership feels like a chance to look at how far we’ve come on sustainability, cruelty-free practices and conscious designs — and to stay honest about how far we still have to go — together.”