This morning it fell to the high street to provide fashion fans all over the world with the kind of shopping thrill that’s been unsurprisingly lacking during lockdown. Partly due to the pandemic-induced closure of stores but also a result of the total absence of events, there’s been little call for a mega new dress, a statement jacket or even a pair of shoes that aren’t, strictly speaking, slippers.
But as the Simone Rocha x H&M collaboration launched online at 8am(GMT) this morning, you could almost hear the repetitive clicks of a computer mouse every five seconds as the savviest shoppers refreshed their browsers in a desperate bid to snap up something – anything! – from the much-antipicated collection.
Knowing that almost all of the high street stalwart’s previous designer collabs had sold out within a few hours – coupled with the fact that this collection had been widely-dubbed the best and most-popular yet – only served to increase the pressure.
For those who’d previously played a similar all-or-nothing game with Glastonbury tickets, this tense anticipation was all too familiar. And in a similarly crushing – but, of course, inevitable – outcome, a significant proportion of those incessantly refreshing the page either didn’t manage to get in at all, or got in too late and were confronted with endless ‘SOLD OUT’ labels attached to every piece on their wishlist.
But while many were unsuccessful, there were thousands of delighted customers who managed to snap up a handful of Simone Rocha pieces at a mere fraction of the price of her mainline collections. Eagerly anticipating their arrival, many will spend the next few days daydreaming about how they’re going to style the Irish designer’s iconic silhouettes.
Scroll down to check out some of our favourite influencer inspo pics while you wait patiently to style yours out…
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: OUTERWEAR
Undoubtedly one of the collection’s most talked-about categories, Simone designed a number of outerwear styles for this collaboration with a pink, tinsel-threaded number being the first item to sell out on launch day.
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: TRENCH COATS
The trench coat was so popular that it deserves a sub-section of its own. While the menswear, pearl-collared number was on a several wishlists, it was this puffed-shoulder incarnation from the womenswear drop that sold out first.
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: DRESSES
Simone Rocha is known for her dresses, and her H&M offering did not disappoint. From deeply-hued floral designs to sheer fabrics and even some tongue-in-cheek embellishment, this was a really strong category for the collaboration.
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: KNITWEAR
A slightly more muted but but by no means overlooked category came via Simone’s knitwear. Embellished with her signature faux-pearl detailing, these jumpers – both menswear and womenswear – are super versatile, traditionally ‘wearable’ pieces that’ll be a wardrobe staple for years to come.
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: TARTAN
No one does tartan quite like Simone, and for H&M she splashed it across an instantly-recognisable dress with sheer inserts as well as a pair of particularly epic trousers.
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: ACCESSORIES
Known and loved for her beads and bows, there was no way Simone’s high street offering wouldn’t be full of mega accessories. Earrings, hair slides, head bands, bows… when it comes to the details there’s no such thing as ‘too much’ in Simone’s world.
SIMONE ROCHA X H&M: MENSWEAR
Refreshingly, Simone Rocha x H&M also boasted particularly impressive menswear and kidswear collections. An embellished trench coat, monogrammed sweaters and suiting were undoubtedly the menswear highlights.