Inside H&M Studio’s multi-faceted Paris Fashion Week strategy

H&M Studio was launched to offer a more fashion-forward, elevated collection distinct from H&M’s mainline. Designed by an in-house team of 10 at H&M’s Stockholm atelier, the Studio line emphasizes high-fashion trends, creative storytelling and elevated craftsmanship. During major fashion weeks, H&M showcases the collection to industry insiders and consumers via runway shows, private previews and pop-up stores.

On September 24, H&M Studio opened a two-day Paris pop-up to the public, transforming a multi-floor gallery space into a showcase of its fall collection. Designed in collaboration with design studio Perron-Roettinger, the space featured futuristic metallic surfaces and glossy red walls, reflecting H&M’s aesthetic.

Titled “Dream Big,” the collection celebrates self-expression, freedom and the power of dressing up through a blend of glamorous evening wear and sleek modern tailoring. Visitors to the pop-up could preview and purchase the collection before its global release on September 26, while enjoying refreshments like Carette macarons and Bachir organic ice cream. The pop-up also introduced an exclusive, limited-edition denim look and a leather pillow-style handbag reissued in a custom gold-lurex finish and limited to 20 numbered pieces.

H&M Studio’s presence at Paris Fashion Week was part of a strategic evolution of the line and a new direction for the H&M brand, which was announced last month. Hosting events in multiple cities allows the brand to “liberate fashion” by making it accessible to everyone, playing into the goal. During London Fashion Week in September, H&M Studio partnered with Charlie XCX for her concert. The brand has previously hosted traditional fashion shows for Studio but pivoted to other presentation formats during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

H&M Group’s net sales in the third quarter of 2024 decreased to approximately $5.37 billion (59,011 million SEK), remaining flat year-over-year based on local currencies. The company noted that its fall collection has been well received, with September 2024 sales expected to rise by 11% compared to September 2023.

“This season, we invited editors and influencers to an apartment where the designers presented the collection and shared the inspiration behind it,” said Gemzell.

The “Dream Big” collection includes oversized faux fur coats, tailored blazers and luxurious knitwear. The most expensive piece, a shearling coat priced at $600, quickly sold out.

A broader guest list of influencers was also invited to an event at another, three-month H&M pop-up in Paris’s Marais district. Around 300 attendees, including influencers and celebrities, experienced the collection firsthand. “We had a musician performing, a DJ, food, and drinks — it was more like a party,” Gemzell said. 

H&M Studio has shifted its release strategy from two major drops per year to six, with smaller themed collections aimed at maintaining consumer interest year-round. “Sometimes we have smaller drops, like pre-fall teasers with only 10 pieces, and sometimes we have a collection focused on storytelling, such as dresses made entirely of regenerated cotton,” Gemzell said. The strategy allows for experimentation, she added.

“The average price is around €100, but we use a lot of great quality [materials],” she said. “We don’t want to take away that aspect because then we’d be like the rest of H&M; it needs to be something special.” 

H&M Studio has explored marketing to a younger demographic, but it has since focused on its core shopper — in the 30-40 age range — with larger budgets.

Nearly all pieces sold out during the two-day Paris Fashion Week activation, Gemzell said. A limited quantity of the pieces were also sold online.

“One of the most-watched Reels on our channel was from the Studio event,” Gemzell said. “It has even more views than our post with Charli XCX, which was surprising.” The video, which features French actress Loli Bahia, received almost 1 million views.

“People want fashion, they want products,” Gemzell said. “We always see our biggest engagement when there’s an [H&M Studio] collection drop.”