Recap: Balmain x H&M Pre-Shop Event

Of all the H&M collabs, Balmain x H&M is by far the best one and the most sought after! I didn't bother trying to get to H&M in-store or online the morning of November 5th since I did all my damage the night before at the pre-shop event at the H&M at 589 Fifth Avenue.

 They only let in small groups at a time and when I finally got in like an hour later, most of the collection was already gone, including my top choice items including the braided rope sandals, navy braided rope jacket, blazer dress and embroidered braided rope top. I quickly scooped up the black velvet top and leather belt. 

I stuck around for the re-stock, which was absolute chaos. I felt like I was in the middle of a fashion obstacle course. Everyone was squooshed together, waiting to attack the racks. Kudos to security for keeping everything in check. Only people without any bags or merchandise were allowed in the shopping area to get some pieces. This is where teamwork comes in. I held my friend's items while she went in and grabbed what she could for the both of us. She was able to snag me the white Balmain t-shirt, earbuds and beaded suede sandals. As I was on line to pay, the couple in front of me were going through their items and decided not to get the braided rope dress. That dress ended up being my size, so I picked it right up!

The sizing runs super small, and even though everything fit, I'm thinking sizing up may have been a better fit. I was really impressed with the quality of the collection, including the braided rope, beading and zipper detailing. Even though pricing was steep for this H&M collab, the pieces are just gorgeous. I hope H&M keeps up the momentum and continues to bring us strong collaborations like this one. 

Here's a look at what I picked up:

- Kim Weling

Inside the Alexander Wang x H&M Pre-Shopping Event

Earlier tonight I stopped by the Alexander Wang x H&M pre-shopping event at 589 5th Avenue at 48th Street. I had gotten there during the last half hour of the event, and just about all the accessories were gone and everything had been picked through. Some of the coveted accessories included, sunglasses, goggles, boxing gloves and a leather backpack. 

I had seriously been considering buying the $399 leather jacket, but sleeves that are too long is one of my pet peeves and the sleeves were bunching up on me a bit. So I ended up just getting the black/yellow sports bra, black crop top and black tank top. There were a few other pieces I had considered buying but were long gone by the time I arrived. I had heard that the party was a madhouse at the start of the night, but I figured it would be! By the time I left, die-hard Alexander Wang fans already started to camp outside of the store. 

You can check out the entire collection here. What are your favorite pieces from Alexander Wang x H&M?

- Kim Weling