Ooh la la, Lanvin for H&M!

A 200-person queue curled around the corner by 8 AM, with excited shoppers comparing wish lists as H&M staff distributed colour-coded admission wristbands. Was the long, cold wait for the ruffled dresses and illustrated tees worthwhile?

‘This might be my only chance to own a bit of Lanvin, and I’m not going to miss that opportunity,’ said Elizabeth Hardman, 25, who joined the queue at 6 AM.

Most of the queue-holders already had specific items in mind. ‘I want the red dress with the sequined neckline, and the faux fur coat,’ said Pamela Cortez, 19, who arrived on her own at 5:30. ‘My friends ditched me – they said “It’s just clothes”… but it’s Lanvin!’

And the mother-of-the-year award surely goes to Philippa Levey, the first person in the queue. She arrived at 8:45 PM last night, not to trawl the rails on her own behalf, but for her daughter. ‘I do like one of the dresses, but I need to stay focused and make sure I get what she’s asked for,’ she said.

See all the stars at the Lanvin for H&M runway preview in New York...