T’S STILL a little surprising to cover Hennes & Mauritz in the context of the United States. It may be half a decade since Swedish label H&M crossed the Atlantic and wooed American customers, but it’s still quintessentially European. So to hear that ‘H&M Live at Central Park’ took place recently was a surprise.
   H&M believed this would give its label the hip-hop, cutting-edge chic that Swedes believe New York holds. In the audience were celebrities galore, from Kanye West and Mario Vasquez to Oscar nominee Catalina Sanino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace). Models Karen Elson, Alek Wek and Missy Rayder were also present.
   In some respects, the American halo effect worked, with H&M’s tents, 15,000 ft² at the company’s disposal, and 16 ft of orchids that guests had to pass through. The company claimed it was the biggest fashion event in the city.
   One hundred and fifty models participated as H&M showed off its autumn–winter collection.
   The folklore theme was most evident, even if the company talked about minimalism as well as ‘Baroccoco’ (‘rock and roll romanticism’, according to the press release).
   We felt that there was more baroque than minimalism overall, showcasing what is still a very European collection. Despite the venue, H&M hasn’t Americanized, and has stayed true to its roots. The only thing that was American was the performances that accompanied the catwalk show, as West, John Legend and Miri Ben-Ari worked their magic. DJ Spinna worked the after-party. •

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