Jimmy Choo for H&M (???)

Jimmy Choo, known best for their buy-groceries-this-month-OR-buy-a-pair-of-shoes? pricetags will be launching an affordable line through H&M starting November 14.

The collection will feature mostly accessories, but also some womenswear and even a few menswear pieces. Here is a link to the a pdf catalogue of what will be included in the line: http://www.jcforhm.com/wp-content/pdf/JCFORH&M_Overview.pdf

Some of the accessories look promising, but for the most part, I thought everything looked really really cheap! I don't know, I guess I'll have to wait and see the stuff in person.

I do, however, completely support this trend we've been seeing of diffusion lines, where high end designers do more affordable lines through highly commercial entities. Target has gotten some real heavyhitters, including Anna Sui, the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte, and will be premiering Jean Paul Gaultier's diffusion line next spring. Even le roi himself, Karl Lagerfeld did a line with H&M back in 2004. 

Doing diffusion lines presents an interesting conundrum. It promotes a label known for luxury by producing highly commerical, not particularly top of the notch apparel. As a PR move, I think it's brilliant. Although the same luxurious materials and artisinal craftsmanship which defines those luxury labels aren't there, their aesthetic and vision is still conveyed to the masses. It gets the brand's name out there. But the problem is that this Jimmy Choo stuff doesn't even look that good. It kind of looks like a trashglammed a la Zara-ed up version of Forever 21.

It is going to be interesting to see how the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection works out. If the stuff isn't as cheap looking in person as I thnk it looks online, this could be great for House of Choo. If it's a flop, well, let's just say people will be that less inclined to buy a pair of shoes instead of paying their monthly rent.