H&M is on the world’s doorstep. While wearable fashion is its bread and butter, H&M has established itself in luxury markets. The brand has collaborated with dozens of international imprints over the past two decades – from Stella McCartney and Balmain to COMME des GARÇONS and Marni. The highstreet retailer gives brands total creative freedom, allowing designers to explore new formats while paying tribute to their heritage and signature silhouettes.

Next up is French luxury House Rabanne, founded by late designer Paco Rabanne — Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo — in 1966. The designer was known for uncommon material usage throughout his career, including chainmail, paper, and plastic. Rabanne’s debut H&M collaboration was announced at Paris Fashion Week, assembling a retro-futuristic oasis symbolizing opulent confidence. Rabanne Creative Director Julien Dossena worked closely with H&M Womenswear’s Head of Design, Ann-Sofie Johansson, to bring his vision to life, designing an eclectic wardrobe for 1970s pool parties.

The radiant collection echoes Rabanne’s glamorous identity, delivering shimmering garments to dance the night away. The fluid range promotes chainmail constructions through structural and encrusted tops, metallic bottoms, and lined athletic variations. Gold foil shines bright on feminine designs, while synthetic armor prepares for battle on plunged dresses and high-neck tops. Xavier Dolan captures the collaboration in a modernist film shot under the moonlight and enhanced by flirtatious choreographies.

Ahead of the global release, Hypebeast spoke with H&M Womenswear’s Head of Design, Ann-Sofie Johansson, and Rabanne Creative Director Julien Dossena on the luxurious collaboration.

Hypebeast: How did the collaboration between H&M and Rabanne first come together?

Ann-Sofie Johansson: I always say we have a wish list of dream brands and designers we would love to work with at H&M. Rabanne was a name that had been on the list for a while. Of course, the brand has iconic status in the fashion industry. The founder, Paco Rabanne, was a master of metal and created many instantly recognizable designs that are utterly unique. For over 10 years now, Julien Dossena has been making his mark on Rabanne very subtly and intelligently. We could feel he was on a very positive trajectory. We’ve been so impressed by how he has reenergized the brand, making it feel very modern and forward-looking.

When it comes to finding collaborators, we are always thinking about our customers at H&M: what do they want to wear? How do they want to feel? We felt that Rabanne was the perfect brand for a collection that will “stop the world” for a moment, which is always our ambition with our designer collaborations. With the collection dropping in November, it provides our customers with lots of incredible pieces for party season and beyond.

“We felt that Rabanne was the perfect brand for a collection that will “stop the world” for a moment, which is always our ambition with our designer collaborations.”

How does the collaboration merge the identity of both brands?

ASJ: Our designer collaborations at H&M are less about merging identities and more about learning from each other — that’s always the best part of a collaboration — when it’s beneficial for both parties. If you can have fun along the way, as we did with Julien and the Rabanne team, then it’s even better.

In terms of how the collaboration progressed, the goal for us is always to give the designers as much creative freedom as possible. We’ve invited them to collaborate because we love their vision and aesthetic, so while we can offer our advice and expertise regarding production, pricing, and marketing, we try not to impose creative constraints on the designers.

In this case, we didn’t give Julien a brief, we invited him to share his ideas. The first one he shared — which was the overarching concept of a glamorous pool party — was perfect, resulting in a collection that feels very French and very fun.

What message does Rabanne want to communicate to H&M’s global audience?

Julien Dossena: The main motivation for me was about democratizing our designs, offering them to a wider audience at a more accessible price point. I remember the feeling, as a young fashion student, of getting my hands on a piece of iconic design — the collaborations I looked back at that I felt were the most successful were the ones that offered the House icons.

The message here, as it always is with Rabanne, is about a mood of instinctive and inclusive fun. I wanted to be generous with our icons so that more people can be part of our brand community. I wanted more people to be able to experience the unique sensation of wearing chainmail.

Walk us through the design process behind the collection.

JD: We first met with the H&M team in Paris 18 months ago. They told us what they liked about our brand, and we exchanged thoughts and ideas. Then, at the second meeting, I presented my vision for a 1970s pool party, like a Helmut Newton photograph. The collection was based on my vision of a relaxed gathering of people with a light-hearted but electric atmosphere. I wanted to express the inclusive and empowering side of the brand, the hedonistic spirit and sense of fun that defines the House, mixing our icons with effortless 1970s tailoring and elevated loungewear.

I always try to balance glamor and practicality in my designs. H&M liked the idea. We went into production and later fittings, and it was a good back-and-forth between the two teams in Paris and Stockholm. I’m really happy with the final designs and the film we created with Xavier Dolan, which presents the collection in a super sophisticated way. It’s been a really fun experience.

How is Rabanne’s heritage reflected in the collaboration?

JD: I knew from the start that I wanted to propose Rabanne’s House icons because the collaborations I looked at in the past that I felt were most successful were the ones that offered the most recognizable pieces. Equally important from a production perspective was making sure that we maintained the best practice with high-quality materials that were as low-impact as possible — craftsmanship is a key part of our brand.

We have our metallic paillette pieces and accessories, a beautiful chiffon 1930s-inspired dress, the embroidered jacket, and some key pieces of tailoring. But I’m most proud of the metallic mesh pieces, which feature a blend of recycled and conventional metal. It’s something we’ve been trying to develop for years in-house, but we never managed to maintain the same shine, durability, and quality as the original. Going forward, we hope to apply that lesson to future Rabanne collections.

How does Rabanne continue building on H&M’s luxury partnerships, and how does the brand differ from past collaborators?

ASJ: We’ve been doing designer collaborations since 2004 when we launched our first collection with the late Karl Lagerfeld. We’re really proud of the range of ground-breaking designers we’ve collaborated with over the last 19 years, from Comme des Garçons to Maison Margiela and Versace to Simone Rocha. We’re always looking to give our customers something they can’t get anywhere else — and with Rabanne, we’re able to offer them pieces of fashion history. I’m excited to see how our customers react, the initial reaction has been so positive.

What can we expect to see in-store from H&M and Rabanne?

ASJ: The collection launches online and in selected stores on November 9. The branding is really exciting — Rabanne has just changed its logo and graphic identity, so we’ll actually be the first to offer products with the new branding, as well as packaging. I can’t reveal too much else at this stage, but we’re all very excited.