H&M Down Under

It was almost six months ago that I received an email informing me that H&M would be opening its first Australian store in 2014, in Melbourne, and after a launch where no expenses were spared (Haim were among the night’s DJs), today the store finally opened to the public.

Images supplied by H&M.

I’m compelled to point out that H&M’s antipodean launch may have been the biggest event a high street brand has thrown this side of the equator. Their store also appears to be the largest.

Strikingly, the store’s design feels almost inappropriate for its contents — the sophisticated interior could just as easily house a Dior collection as it does dirt-cheap fast fashion — and this seems to be wherein the appeal lies. The intent of this is clear: to attract buyers by dispelling the cheap image of the high street.

Tactical architecture aside, the opening of H&M’s first Australian flagship is only the first of a series of stores to open in the coming years. The retailer has hinted at expanding its Australian presence to more capital cities, and a COS store is in the works to open later this year at Melbourne’s ‘The Strand’.

I’ll be eagerly anticipating the launch of H&M’s Australian online store and, in a perfect world, COS’s also. Otherwise it seems I’ll have no choice other than to crowdfund my way to Melbourne. Remember, I’m a poor student!

x Mr Mint