This year, H&M is celebrating two decades of designer collaborations. What began with a groundbreaking pairing—Karl Lagerfeld way back in 2004—has become both a vehicle for the Swedish behemoth’s power and influence, and, in recent years, a launching pad into international recognition for a slew of IYKYK designers like Rokh, Erdem, Toga, and Magda Butrym, among others.
The latest designer to join those ranks is Lorena Saravia, who launched her namesake label in Mexico City in 2010 and quickly established a signature aesthetic that melds artisanal techniques with elegance—and makes a great pair of cowboy boots. “Lately, we have looked into more independent brands and designers that we feel are really interesting, designers from all over the world—because creativity and great designers can be found anywhere,” explained H&M’s creative director Ann-Sofie Johansson on a recent call. “We want to reflect where we operate as a company and the world we live in, so it feels really natural to look out for more local designers. We found Lorena and really fell for her designs.” She added, “Even though we start with a local kind of intention, it is still a global collaboration.”
For Saravia, the opportunity was not only a chance to show her work on a global scale, but also to explore, by learning new techniques and modes of working. “I was honored to be having that meeting,” said Saravia. “I’ve been a huge fan for the past 20 years of the different collaborations they’ve done—they’re like pieces of jewelry that you cannot find again in the market, at the end of the day they make history and then the collaborations never happen again.”
“We’re a small team in Mexico,” she continued. “We do magic with very little and this was an opportunity for me to learn how big teams work, have a full spectrum of creativity, and also be open to analyze the different details of zippers, buttons, the cuts, the patterns… it was a really satisfying experience.”
The 29-piece collection, which launches on October 16 and includes ready-to-wear, accessories, and shoes—the aforementioned cowboy boots will undoubtedly become one of the season’s It items—is not a gathering of Saravia’s greatest hits, but a distilled group of garments that immediately transmits her unique point of view. There’s sturdy denim in a sandblasted brown shade like it’s already lived through many journeys across the desert, fringed suede skirts, and intricately woven belts inspired by the petate, a mat traditionally made from palm leaves in a “V”-shaped pattern. Meanwhile, a long-sleeve tunic and a short skirt in a matching laser-cut pattern were inspired by papel picado, a traditional Mexican craft that involves intricately cut crepe paper. “I don’t have a laser cutter in my studio, so I thought, Okay, maybe they can make this [inspiration] come true for us,” the designer explained. “Being able to have this papel picado design, which is something that we really use in Mexico, was really magical.” It is one of the highlights of the offering, along with suede chaps and a handsome felt hat.
Saravia often mentions looking through old family albums and being inspired by clothes actually worn by the women in her family, and once again, it was H&M’s access to cutting-edge technologies that allowed her to bring something personal and adapt it on a vast scale. “In my studio, we have little buttons that my grandmother used to have on her sewing machine, and we sat down and analyzed all of them and were able to make these ’50s-style retro buttons,” she said of the details that enliven a layered cotton poplin dress.
Johansson sees this attention to detail as one of the greatest assets of this collaboration. “Everything is so meticulously chosen, nothing is unnecessary,” she observed, before addressing the designer: “You want to do things that really matter, that make a statement, that are versatile and you can use.”
“It’s a very simple and textured collection,” said Saravia. “If you put together the suede jacket and the suede skirt it gives you this super strong message, but at the end of the day, you can divide the pieces and get just as strong a look. I love that it can really appeal to lots of different types of women.”
