The highly anticipated Isabel Marant pour H&M collection hits stores tomorrow, and you can bet that there will be a major battle between fashionistas trying to get their perfectly manicured claws on the oh-so-coveted pieces.
Having learned from the chaos of the previous designer collaborations, H&M has put in place some shopping rules for a more “enjoyable” shopping experience. Sticking to their tried and tested queuing system, the stores will be giving out coloured wristbands to the first 420 people in line. There will be 10 colours (one for each 30 groups of customers) and shopping time will be based on which colour wristband a customer receives. Each group will have 10 minutes to shop, with five minutes in between each slot for sales associates to restock. After three and a half hours, the collection will then be available to shoppers without wristbands.
There is also a limit to what you can buy – H&M will only allow one of each item per customer with a maximum of four items (most likely to avoid the collection being resold on eBay at outrageous prices).
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So with all these rules in place, it kind of seems impossible to get what you want, unless you line up at the crack of dawn. But not to fret! Having learned from experience, I’ve got some tips on how to successfully shop the collection:
1. Plan ahead
The full Isabel Marant pour H&M lookbook has been out for quite some time now (in case you missed it, you can check it out here), giving us ample opportunity to see which pieces tickle our fancy. Go on the site, choose your faves, and plan which pieces you will aim to score.
2. Know your size
There’s nothing worse than getting that coveted piece, only to find out that it’s the wrong size. Make sure you know what sizes fit you best at H&M so you know what to grab.
3. Bring reinforcements…particularly those who aren’t so fashion savvy
A few years ago, I shopped Roberto Cavalli x H&M and brought along my biggest and most burly guy friends to help out. I obviously had to give them some major prep beforehand on what they had to look for and in which size, but in the end, they were pretty successful in getting me some key pieces. Plus, they were really great at protecting me from those especially vicious shoppers.
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4. Make friends in line
Though they may seem like your competitors at first, your fellow queue mates can actually make great teammates. Back when Phillip Lim for Target launched, I met some great girls in line, and together, we came up with a game plan to get exactly which pieces we wanted. In the end, we were successful. If you all want the same pieces, have each person get one item in several sizes, then trade.
5. Barter
Even though you may miss out on the specific pieces you want, don’t give up. Grab what you can, and then proceed to barter and trade with other shoppers. You’re bound to get something you want!
6. Bring supplies
Of course, we View the Vibe-rs always have food and drink on our minds. If you’re planning on lining up early in the cold, make sure to bring lots of munchies and coffee (spiked with Bailey’s…don’t worry, we won’t tell!).
Let us know…will you be shopping Isabel Marant pour H&M? Comment below, or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
Isabel Marant pour H&M will be available November 14th at the following H&M locations: 15 Bloor St W., Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Mall.
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