Marni fans flock to H&M

Brand fans braved the cold for a crack at the polka-dotted, block-printed, gold-foiled pieces, forming queues outside stores from as early as 3:00am.

Why? ‘Because it’s Marni!’, said Paulina Kwanis, one of the earliest arrivals. It was Kwanis’s first time queuing for entry to an H&M designer collaboration and she was determined to snag a blue dotted jacket, a leather top and piles of accessories. ‘The Marni prints never go out of fashion,’ she said. ‘This is the best collaboration H&M have done so far.’

The queue may have been H&M’s most stylish yet. One gentleman waiting for a wristband wore head-to-toe Marni mainline clothes for the occasion.

Also queuing was jewellery designer Mawi Keivom. ‘I love the brand, I love the jewels and the fabrications, and I love getting it for a really cool price point,’ she said, noting that only the prospect of Marni at high-street prices could lure her to the West End during the morning rush hour. The designer admired for her spiked and crystal-covered necklaces and rings said she was after ‘the big statement jewels, and maybe a coat.’

‘Everyone that’s done the collaboration has done it in the spirit and philosophy of the brand,’ Keivom said. ‘Like all the others before, I’m sure that this will carry the house style through. It’s not going to be a watered-down collection—I’m sure it’s going to be exciting.’

If a new timed-entry wristband system meant that the queues didn’t look as dramatic outside the store as at previous launches, the shoppers were just as ardent once they made it through the doors. Pieces including the silk pyjama-style top and shorts sets, resin necklaces, wooden-heeled shoes and metallic brocade tops (as seen on Sofia Coppola and campaign model Imogen Poots) were the first to disappear from the sales floor.

Key pieces appeared on eBay within moments of the collection going on sale, at massively inflated prices. A straw hat that retailed for £9.99 attracted bidding up t