I’m no Lanvin expert although it’s no secret that Alber Elbaz has been my favourite designer of the last few years. I’ve been mildly (read: majorly) obsessed, so much so that I wore a Lanvin top and shoes on my wedding day (I promised you some pics and I will post soon). Which is probably why a few of you emailed me with questions like “What are your favourite pieces from the collection?” or “Is it worth lining up for?”

First of all, I am a huge fan of H&M collaborations and collaborations in general (some are ridiculous, like Speedo by Comme des Garcons) and I own something from nearly every H&M collaboration. Sure, I can afford the real thing here and there but I’m not against some of these items being available to the general masses for a short (very short) amount of time. I don’t think the bona fide consumers of the luxury labels are being ripped off in any way by having H&M sell cheaper versions of their beloved garments.

For example, below is the picture of the top by Lanvin that I wore on my wedding day. And below it is a similar silhouette offered by Lanvin for H&M. Just by looking at these tiny pictures, one can recognize the difference in quality and craftsmanship. So obviously, one should not be under the impression that they are buying Lanvin: they are buying H&M that happens to be designed by an absolute genius that was kind enough to share some of his patterns with H&M. Also, it should be noted that Lanvin garments are produced in France while H&M is manufactured mostly in China.

Lanvin for H&M ($199 CAD)

Having established the authenticity, I have to say that I absolutely love all my H&M designer garments that I’ve purchased. I still have my Karl Lagerfeld turtleneck (in fact, he wears it himself in The Lagerfeld Confidential), my Comme des Garcons polka dot dress shirt, my many Matthew Williamson numbers and my Sonia Rykiel knits and undies. I wear them all the time and I don’t have to worry about ruining them (I swear, every time I eat I spill something on myself). In the end, fashion is fun, and about feeling good in what you wear, whether it’s $50 or $5,000 (although, I admit, I would feel a little better in the latter, of course).

So, after this super long rant, I’ll finally give you these answers. Is it worth lining up? Yes, but only if you’re a Lanvin fan and not just for the novelty. What are my favourite pieces? This black number, worn above by the amazing Irina Lazareanu, is on top of my list.

I’ve been meaning to get my hands on Lanvin baubles for years. I can never justify spending $500+ on what is basically costume jewelry, so I’ll take this opportunity to snag at least couple of pieces.

Lastly, I adore the floral print dress and shoes because I find it to be a little different for Lanvin, a label that rarely does big bold prints (the last one I could remember was the teal and pink leopard for S/S 2009). I was actually hoping to be more surprised when I initially blogged about the collaboration. I can definitely say that Elbaz didn’t really live up to his statement regarding diffusion lines: “I have a problem to do a collection that is a secondary line… I mean, you don’t want to be the stepsister. You want to be Cinderella. Show me one girl who wants to be the stepsister.” He did kind of give us “the stepsister” collection, no? But it’s sure one fun stepsister.

Prices range from $200-250 for most dresses and around $100 for the shoes but I’ll confirm the pricing once it’s released. View the entire collection on H&M’s Facebook page.

PS. Interestingly, while I was writing this, Lisa Tant, the editor-in-chief of Flare tweeted: “Appearing in the H&M Lanvin video – what is the name of the Canadian-raised model & where was she born? I’ll send you my gift bag.” I immediately replied like a mad woman: “Irina Lazareanu? Romania?” and I won! Irina truly is my new BFF!