Over the years, H&M has made a habit of supporting emerging brands with its designer collaborations, and its latest link-up – with Korean label Rokh – is one of its most exciting in a while. The Swedish retailer has teamed up with designer Rok Hwang on a capsule of pieces inspired by his main line, including double-layered trench coats, detachable-hem dresses and office-inspired designs.
“We’ve been keeping an eye on the brand for a while,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design and creative advisor at H&M. “We fell in love with Hwang’s innovative way with tailoring. It’s quite conceptual but also easy to wear, which is something that has always appealed to us.”
The collection is filled with versatile pieces that can be worn in multiple ways, including outerwear, skirts, dresses and separates, as well as accessories. “If you only buy one thing, make it the double belt, which is a signature piece that lends a Rokh attitude to any look,” says Johansson.
Much like his main line, there are more than a few office-appropriate pieces in the collection, including a beautiful pleated skirt and tan blazer.
“My inspiration is always coming from real-life situations, particularly workplaces,” Hwang tells us. “I feel most inspired when I look at the women working around me in my life, and those I have worked with throughout my career – whether that’s my mother or Phoebe Philo, who I worked for at Céline. The working woman, engaging life in full force, is always the aspirational figure for me.”
Hwang used that as his starting point for the collection, but also had the opportunity to go through his archive, so that he could champion his design signatures.
“I looked back through and fell in love with details and pieces I had designed in the past – I wanted to make sure we offered some Rokh icons, updated and tweaked for H&M. We spent a lot of time working on each piece, but in a really optimistic way. Every piece went through our hands, touching, cutting, crafting. And as I mentioned, the special thing about this collaboration was that H&M wanted it to be true to the codes of Rokh, so they gave me the freedom to create something that truly represents our brand.”
Of course, one of the most exciting things about teaming up with a brand like H&M for an emerging label is the audience that it will bring in, and Hwang says that he is excited to “introduce Rokh to a wider audience all over the world” .
“Putting the collection together has been a moment of self-realisation, decoding what I had done in previous collections. I was looking into my own archive and falling in love again with the details I had created in the past. That process made me think about what Rokh really stands for, and I think it’s strengthened our vision.”
The collection will be available to shop online and in stores from 18 April, while a selection will also be sold at Dover Street Market form the 16 April.