h&m x versace tvc
Lindsey Wixson, Daphne Groenveld and a giant hamster wheel.
If you haven't heard about H&M's collaboration with Versace yet, then you must have been living under a very large rock. With the lookbook already out ? featuring, among others, the stunning Abbey Lee ? the Swedish high-street label have released a sneak peek of their TV commercial for the collaboration, starring Daphne Groeneveld and Oyster covergirl Lindsey Wixson. With both blonde beauties resembling young Donatella Versace-esque glamazons, the TVC is the perfect embodiment of glamour, excess and downright bizarre. Directed by Johan Renck, Daphne floats down a staircase suspended by wire, Lindsey runs her little heart out on a giant hamster wheel and both girls indulge in a little cage-fighting. As for the set, Versace's Creative Director, Donatella Versace, sums it up perfectly with the sentiment "it's so grand", while H&M's creative director, Donald Shneider, concedes that grandeur is something of an understatement: "I think we actually used all of the gold paint in London that was available for this job."
The Italian fashion label's collaboration with H&M includes both menswear and womenswear, as well as some homewares. H&M's creative advisor, Margareta van den Bosch ? who has led collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons and Jimmy Choo in the past ? has said, "Versace is one of the most important brands of recent times and their collection for H&M will be glamorous and flamboyant ? everything Versace stands for. Donatella Versace is sharing with us iconic designs from the archives. This is such a celebratory collaboration and is perfect for the party season."
The mistress of glam flamboyance herself has promised that the Versace for H&M collection embodies "the essence of Versace", bringing back such favourite trademarks as the bright prints, the Greek key and the daring cuts. Donatella says, "I can't wait to see how H&M's wide audience will make these pieces their own."
The collab collection hits stores on 17 November and will be followed up by a pre-spring collection, to be available online from 19 January 2012.
Rosie Dalton
