Matthew Williamson @ H&M

Hi Guys,

Before the collection is released to the shops on Thursday (Vogue.com is predicting shopping hysteria which I, frankly, am taking with a pinch of salt!) does anyone else find the majority of the Williamson collection we have had "sneak previews" of,a little bit blah (and dare i say it, a little bit dated!?!)

Maybe i'm being bitter because the pixellated rose pattern I love and covet so so much hasn't been represented at all, but i'm really not that into the Miami vice 80s feel of the whole collection. It takes a truly brave woman to pull off an electric blue suit!

I'm pretty sure my mum has thrown out similar that even I (the ultimate hoarder) have rejected. As my nan would say; "I wouldn't give it house room" I also won't be rushing out for this utilitarian jump suit, the frightening circa 1995 butterfly top or the cheap looking cardi with ill thought out peacock feather shoulder.

I would, however, give this sequinned dress plenty of house room:I looks like a grafitti artist was given one too many cans of spray paint and decided to go totally insane! This would look great over denim-look leggings teamed with horrenduously uncomfortable (but very very beautiful, its a thing!) skyscraper heels.

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It's a bit worrying that there's only one thing that made me take notice though: One dress does not a collection make, and although there are some belts and a leather jacket also being released that look very very wearable, there is no piece in this whole collection that makes me want to stop and say "wow!"

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It's difficult to sum up. Some people i'm sure will be talking about the recession; that people are turning to safe pieces they can wear over and over again rather than the showstoppers they'll wear once or twice. So maybe this was a canny move, and the collab will be a massive success and i'll be proved wrong. But I suspect people will also go the other way- Matthew Williamson is famous for his amazing party dresses - if I was to buy a Matthew Williamson collaboration dress that is up to 3 times the normal store price, I would want it to be a bit bloody special. In fact, i would probably want it to make people gasp on awe as I passed by (even if I did only wear it once every couple of months!) !

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I know this: I won't be one of the predicted crowd of hysterical women. And unless you're anxious to get your paws on mediocre H&M clobber thats been insanely marked up because there's a name you probably recognise on the label, I wouldn't recommend you do either!!!

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Lots of love,

Tor x

The pixelated rose: coming to a wardrobe near you?

Those that you who read this blog regularly know that although my finances, and therefore fashion spending, has perked up over the past couple of months, I can't really afford to buy designer clothes. However, if I could have had anything this year, it would have been one of these Matthew Williamson dresses. I love the colour (on a black base, naturellement!) and the modern computer geekiness of it, juxtaposed with the vintage handicraft/homely nature of the original print. I loved this dress so much that I rejected the very good replica Mango did of it, because it just would have felt so inferior every time I wore it.

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Imagine my joy then when I read that H&M has unveiled Matthew Williamson as the company's next guest designer, with women's wear and men's wear collections due for launch next year.

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The Williamson revolution will begin with an exclusive women's fashion range in selected stores from 23 April next year. (bold for emphasis!) Further women's pieces, plus his first men's wear collection, will follow for the summer. These will be available from mid-May in all H&M stores around the world.

"Matthew has such a good eye and a way for working with prints that he mixes up in a new way," said Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M. "When he combines these things, you get a very contemporary London look."

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Mixing up prints in new ways? Please Lord let that be a hint that the pixelated rose print is coming to H&M alongside its inventor. I don't think i've ever crossed my fingers and my toes this hard in unison in my life!

Love, Tor x