Back in 2017, H&M linked up with one of London’s most romantic ready-to-wear labels Erdem for its annual designer collaboration, bringing us a bevy of affordable tea party-approved tweeds and jacquard frocks. This year, the Swedish mega-retailer turned to The Vampire’s Wife for another shot at hyper feminine British elegance. The capsule, which launches in select stores and on H&M’s website on Oct. 22, was announced Friday by British Vogue.
“H&M took great pains to find the very essence of what The Vampire’s Wife is about, and then realized my dreams to my exact specifications,” said the label’s designer Susie Cave in an interview with British Vogue. “To design a dress at The Vampire’s Wife and get it through to the finish line is extremely difficult, miraculous really, as we are a small company. H&M is extraordinarily powerful in that respect.”
According to British glossy, the retailer worked with Cave in true social distancing style, via Zoom, to execute the range as quickly as possible, and just in time for Halloween. The collection is inspired by the gothic architecture found in Lewes, a county town of East Sussex, England, which is now home to the brand’s HQ. The mood is therefore a bit medieval and witchy — think black prairie dresses with Victorian details, like intricate lace, ruffled hems and exaggerated collars. There’s also a cape with an extravagant velvet bow, which could work as a chic sorceress costume or a sumptuous holiday party outfit.
The idea that The Vampire’s Wife dresses, which traditionally retail for up to $4,000, could be more accessible was really what sold Cave on the collaboration, the designer said in her interview with British Vogue. Now, she’s just excited to have the “power of such a brand” behind her small indie label.
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