Balmain x H&M

Remember many years ago, when I spent the night outside H&M in Montreal to grab some pieces from their collaboration with Versace? After that, it was another night spent waiting for Rodarte x H&M with my poor sister, who tried very hard not to cry as the sun rose to indecently reveal street cleaning cars and the staggering of nearby drunks. And, after that, I promised myself that while I'll endure a little bit of suffering for fashion, I just can't take it that far again. Well, that was before I saw the latest collaboration, hitting select Canadian H&M locations on November 5th: Balmain x H&M. Oh my God.

Photo: h&m.com

Honestly, when I first saw the teasers for the line, I didn't care much for the box cut blazer which, lets face it, can really only be effective when worn with thigh-high boots and pretty much nothing else. And as far as I like to take Casual Fridays at work, I have to stop at my french fry shirt. I just can't find a legitimate use for either of these outfits, so I kinda just shrugged the whole thing off and moved on with my life.

Nope, not for me (photo: dailymail.co.uk)

But then, the collection was released, and I felt my stomach drop the way it does when I really, really like something. And that's when I knew I couldn't look away anymore.  And so, with a few weeks to the launch, here are my favourite pieces, if you can handle them.

First of all, there's this show-stopper. I've been waiting for a dress with a plunging neckline for as long as I can remember, and this. is. it. Somebody better invite me to a yacht party soon, otherwise, well no, I don't care, I'll wear it to the food court if I have to.

photo: H&M

Then there's this silk (!!) dress, for when you want to curl your hair and put on the lipstick that's a bit too flashy, and call everyone at the disco Honey, and squeeze your lime slowly into your tonic to the sounds of Abba, and give him a fake number because you're too busy anyway.

photo: H&M

The following two pieces have a stunning structure, impeccable detailing, and just enough punch to be worn with minimal accessories (if any). I love the sinched waist on the dress, and the built-in neck detailing on the top. I would pair both of these with big hair and maybe some solid statement earrings, like the Chanel double pearl studs. Mega-swoon.

photo: H&M

photo: H&M

And if you don't feel like paying $200-$800 for a garment, there are also some really striking accessories that are a little more on the accessible side, guaranteeing your popularity at the next Secret Santa gift exchange. "A mug that says "I AM TIRED"??? Karen, how thoughtful! So, I'm not sure who your Secret Santa is but she left the H&M receipt in the box in case you don't love your BALMAIN scarf, which I know you will."

A velvet scarf! Love love love. 

photo: H&M

And a suede clutch! All jokes aside, I think this might be the piece I end up with. It's so versatile, so simple, and the green can be adorned so easily, yet keeps its place in spotlight by virtue of that shade being just so, so, so cool. It really doesn't care what you think, it just wants to be on your arm.

photo: H&M

And even though I already have a couple of pairs of headphones, how incredible are these? Just perfectly pretentious, and probably more for people who wear fur vests and stuff, but still so exciting to imagine yourself wearing.  Top three songs listened to by people who will buy these: 1.Jamiroquai: Cosmic Girl  2.Dr.Dre: Next Episode 3.The Weeknd: High For This.

I should also mention that Balmain has a really great men's collection this time around as well. If I had a husband who smelled really good, I think he would wear this blazer. I really love how clean the lines are, and that there aren't any garbage buttons or stars or any stupid appliqué or patterns woven into the cuffs as high-end designers seem to love to do. Gentlemen, this is the kind of blazer that tells a woman that yeah, you've done this before. That lapel tho. Damn.

photo: H&M

There are still some pieces that you know are going straight to the Next Day Back of the Store rack, that you'll see someone's great aunt buying for 70% off in a week, but I think that happens with every collection.  Sometimes it's earrings shaped like armadillos. Other times (this time around) it's a one-piece spacesuit and a dress shirt with some sort of communist detailing on the shoulders.

Whatevs, ignore those, because the rest of the line is really, really worth it. Balmain x H&M will be available in select Canadian stores so get that sleeping bag out 'cause it's gonna be another cold night out!

An H&M Dinner

Every once in a while, I attend a party that leaves me absolutely starstruck. This season, as the H&M Conscious Collection paired up with Olivia Wilde, and pieces like these magically made their way into my daydreams…

…an invitation to a private dinner with H&M magically made its way into my email inbox.
It’s been a while since I’ve clinked champagne glasses with fellow bloggers, so I was really excited to hear what everyone was up to.  Another thing I was really excited about: getting to wear my new H&M blazer!

The dinner was held at the Bayshore Shopping Centre, with the H&M Conscious Collection area shaped radiantly out of tropical green shrubbery, which was a bit of a challenge for the paparazzi…

And a challenge for me was keeping it together when meeting Emily Scarlett of H&M Canada, the lovely dinner host.  Stunning, with a seemingly effortless, impeccable style, Emily spoke about her work, her passion for the H&M Conscious Collection, and the secret behind her ultra on-point hair: finding a hair stylist who shares your vision, and keeping them forever.   

Having worked with H&M for eight years, Emily clearly knows where it’s at when it comes to picking the perfect blazer (yeah, that’s the one from my daydream above!)

You know who else I really loved at this party? The waiters.  I barely had time to finish a glass of bubbly when there it would be, the reaching arm of my best-friend-in-waiting, topping me up, again and again.  

“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not” said Coco Chanel.  I’d like to add a third occasion to that: when my glass is replenished without me even asking.  

Alright, so I’m sure you’ve been patiently reading, just waiting for me to tell you about what was for dinner, so here it is.  I’ve been to parties organized by Blackbook Lifestyle and Bayshore before and I knew they wouldn’t disappoint.  I mean, at a past event a few months ago, the catering included mint cotton candy and macarons sprinkled with edible frost so they clearly go above and beyond to inspire. And inspire they did…
“Miss, an appetizer?” the waiter asked, in-between champagne showers (that’s the right term for it, right?). “Oh yes, please!” I would answer, thinking that if I said it in a slightly different voice this time around, he wouldn’t realize that I’ve already eaten ten off his tray.  “My goodness,” I would add, “What an absolute delight!” …he totally thinks I'm someone else.   “These are scallops, seared in…”  Stop, my friend, you had me at scallops. I’m all in. 

After I indulged in a few hundred appetizer bites, we were called to the gorgeous table, decorated with warm, spring pastel accents and about fifteen million forks and knives.  Do you remember that scene in Pretty Woman with the elegant dinner? You know, that scene? Enough said.  

The starter was a warm pea soup that came with a tiny spoon. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was not gaspacho because I didn’t want to eat anything cold, and luckily, I had some assistance holding the miniature utensil from a pet moth I keep in my purse for this exact situation.

Moth not pictured

Next was (I think) a squash purée, topped with a refreshing zesty salad, and (hopefully) edible flower petals.  There were also petals on the little beads of butter that accompanied our bread, but I passed on scarfing those down, in an effort not to resemble a hunter-gatherer.

Then came the seared tuna, which I think is my new favourite trendy food, because every time I eat it, it’s got a slightly different ‘tone’ to the taste.  This one had a sea salt base, with a velvety texture the more you bit into the raw parts. It sat on a bed of asparagus, potatoes, and sliced egg, gathered together like jewels- fittingly.

As I expertly worked my way through the utensils, this gorgeous plate was placed before me.  On it: duck, artisanal carrots, and more duck wrapped in a soft, warm, savoury crepe, topped with two delicate sprigs of thyme. If you’re wondering, no I could not resist yelling, “Ain’t nobody got thyme for that!”  and yes, everybody laughed, and I was crowned Best Person on Planet, fourth year in a row, as a parade of celebratory elephants fell from the ceiling.

 Next came the moment I can never escape at events and parties – the moment I do something that is inherently me. This edition involved a question from a beautiful blogger, answered by me through a mouthful of duck falling out of my pie hole and onto the elegant porcelain plate it had once been meticulously arranged upon.   That’s okay though, because next came dessert, and my God, dessert was incredible:

“It’s a maple crème brulée,” the waiter whispered in a George Clooney voice as I stared at it, trying to hold back tears of admiration.  Indeed, it was a crème brulée with the thinnest shell, topped with a berry sauce and a tower of meringue. I’m going to pay homage to simplicity and say, in the simplest terms, it was exquisite.
And if that wasn’t enough, all of the gastronomic delights were sustainable and organic. Perfection.

Speaking of treats, of course H&M would go there: on each of our chairs sat a box with a gift that Emily had personally chosen for each blogger based on all of the “stalking” (her words) she had done to learn about us.  My gift was a lovely little number: a giraffe print dress I plan on wearing on my upcoming trip to Cuba! I was floored by Emily’s efforts and attention to detail. I really can’t praise her enough.

 

Lastly, perhaps the best part of the night was meeting so many new people and hearing what drives their passion for blogging.  I couldn’t type fast enough to take down the names of these incredibly fashionable, hilarious, and beautiful girls, but luckily when I woke up this morning, I knew it wasn’t just a dream because there was that much more colour on my Instagram and Facebook from the Likes, Follows, and Hashtags from my new friends.

Thank you to Bayshore Ottawa, H&M Canada, and Blackbook Events (and Liam!!!) for such a beautiful night!

Bloggers...amirite?

Finally: an H&M in Ottawa!

As evinced by my past overnight adventures in the world of H&M collaborations I and H&M collaborations II (psst those are links), in addition to a good bit of my wardrobe consisting of their seasonal creations, I clearly, obviously, duh-ly love Hennes and Mauritz. Yet, for horrific reasons unbeknownst to me, Ottawa has been the last city on the planet without the store.  Kingston has had one for a while, as well as Barrie.  Those two places are heehee worthy, but then a few months ago I was passing by the outskirts of Montreal, where you'd normally see one-of-its-kind waffle houses and stores with four dollar bras, and saw the glowing red letters yet again. That was when I knew that enough was enough.  I let a single tear slowly run down my chin (which is like the most uncomfortable feeling in the world), and considered moving.  Then, it was announced: H&M is opening a store in Ottawa, at the Bayshore mall.  What whaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Of course, just waiting for opening day wasn't enough.  By some stroke of fashion luck, I wound up at the VIP Unveiling Party on October 15th (2 days before the store was to open), and let me just say, it was a night to remember. 

Before leaving for the party, I quickly threw some absolutely essential items into my Fall 2013 H&M bag and then took everything out to take this picture...

Acqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile perfume, H&M dress, H&M necklace, Chanel lipstick, H&M bag

Then, when I was done haphazardly strewing my belongings about, I met up with my bestie and got the party started.

All in all, the event was magnificently put together, from the decor to the entertainment (Oh Land performed an amazing set), to the impeccable organizing, to the lush red carpet.... and in order to do the evening justice I have split my more specific thoughts into two fairly labelled categories:

The right thing to say:  It was so lovely to see some of my favorite fashion bloggers, the atmosphere was magical, and we loved our swag bags.

What I really want to say: I ate a lot of food that looked really fancy, I thought Oh Land was just a gorgeous girl with purple hair and only realized it was Oh Land when they started performing on stage, I drank more than a couple glasses of champagne, and the waitress let me have as many desserts off her tray as I wanted. I ate a lot of desserts also.

Oh, another highlight for me was realizing I have less than zero social skills, when my girlfriend decided to walk over to the guys from the band and ask them for a picture.  Obviously, as is always the case, my brain went into full loser mode, and I followed her over averting my eyes from anything at all. Yes, that looked as awkward as it sounds and let me just say it's not easy to not look at anything at all ever while you're standing still. The thing is I didn't want these guys to think I liked them because every girl in the world likes them and I didn't want to be annoying. Plus, it's not like I liked them, I was just there with girlfriend and would just be taking a picture or two.  Of course, everyone hit it off well because they're fun people and likely attended kindergarten where you first learn the art of small talk (I skipped those years, instead playing with an Airedale Terrier named Jennifer behind the house), so everyone was all "yeah we like touring, it's been fun" and "we love your songs! you're such cool guys!" and I was all "how do you feel it is, politically, if it isn't like so in Sweden, but only in the North American continent, if you were to consider such a continent, even?"

Let's forget that part because I still feel queasy when I think about it. Well, actually, not only do I think about that part but also the part where I acted out the scene later as we walked out, mimicking my conversation topics, and their reactions, with a hideous exaggerated manner...only to (OBVIOUSLY) find them standing right there, by the doors, smoking.  Wonder Years, are you still casting?

Back to the topic at hand, though, I really can't praise this super fun night enough.  We had such a fun time dancing, shopping, and meeting the exciting people that make up Ottawa's fashion and entertainment scene. 

I'm going to skip over the part where I was outright asked if I was anyone important, and then reminded that I was not anyone important, and then asked if I could identify anyone in the room who was important because press pictures needed to be taken.....and then reminded again that no, I could not point to myself...and I'll just say, lastly, that it's about time, H&M.  Welcome to Ottawa.

hehehe

girls girls girls!