>> When it was announced that Rei Kawakubo would be lending her Comme des Garcons aesthetic to H&M this fall, questions were raised, specifically: Would the avant-garde Comme look be compromised in translation by the mass retailer?

"Certainly we're opposite," Kawakubo told W Magazine of the project. "But . . . this idea of collaborating with designers—that’s something I can identify with."

Based on the until now unseen pictures of the collaboration, the signature Comme deconstructed jackets, dropped-crotch pants, polka dots, and predominantly black palette are all there.  But compared to the more mainstream sensibilities of past H&M collaborators — Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, and Roberto Cavalli, with the exception being Viktor & Rolf — this line is definitely a departure.  That's not to say it won't still create a frenzy . . . the crowd may just be a little different than in the past.
*image: source