This morning, the Daily Transom hustled over to the H&M on Fifth Avenue and 51st Street where at 8:30 or so, a huddled mass of around 250 shivering Comme des Garcons enthusiasts were shuffling around outside. They were waiting for the 9 a.m. debut of Rei Kawakubo's special, low-priced line for H&M, and many of them had been in line for hours.

Before the doors opened, several line-standers were overheard wondering whether the line's Japanese eclecticism could possibly fit onto the typically toned-down, moderately priced shelves of H&M. (Especially considering that Ms. Kawakubo created a Comme des Garcons fall 2008 line that  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/o2/comme-des-garcons-enthusiasts-will-stop-nothing#comments Fashion O2 Comme des Garcons H&M Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:31:31 -0500 Em Whitney 78810 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/2008/real-estate/h-m-nabs-fulton-mall-location

Stylish and poorly financed Brooklynites, rejoice! Swedish retailer H&M has officially signed a 15-year lease at Al Laboz’s 497 Fulton Street, in the Fulton Mall.

The sizable, 29,600-square-foot store, between Hoyt and Bridge streets, will be H&M’s first street location in the outer borough, and Brooklyn’s second location (the other is in the Kings Plaza mall). “H&M’s commitment is a testament to Downtown Brooklyn’s resurgence,” Mr. Laboz, who’s also chairman of the Fulton Street Mall Improvement Association, said in a statement.

Cushman & Wakefield’s Robert Gibson, Thomas Citron and Molly Beal represented H&M in the transaction.

Sadly, thanks to a planned reconstruction of the building, H&M won’t open its doors until the end of 2010.

drubinstein@observer.com  read more »

H&M lost profits in the third quarter because the company had to slash prices on their already inexpensive fashions in order to survive in a punishing retail economy. [WWD]

Valentino's designer, Alessandra Facchinetti, might depart from the fashion house only a year after taking it over from the retired designer, and Giambattista Valli is rumored to be next in line. [FWD]

The Hills star Whitney Port's new clothing line is available on Kitson's Web site. [The Cut]

Salma Hayek experienced culture shock when she arrived at the Balenciaga show in Paris on Tuesday; the actress was coming from Sierra Leone, where she was distributing vaccines. [WWD]

In the tradition of sample sales, many high-end Web sites are now featuring invitation-only designer sales. [NY Sun]

“You’re going to be a little more sensible with how you use your money,” said the model Helena Christensen—hello, understatement!—at a glitzy West Chelsea auction benefiting Food Bank for New York City, several days after the implosion of Lehman Brothers.

Clad in a timeless black Stella Mc-Cartney gown, Ms.  read more »

A Comme des Garcons dress for H&M will reportedly retail for $350. [Fashionista via The Cut] 

Chunky party earrings are making a comeback. [NY Times] 

Interior decorator Jonathan Adler (who recently wed The Observer's Simon Doonan) will open his first Upper West Side store at Columbus Ave. and 74th St., right next door to the Housing Works Thrift Store. The shop will be his eighth and will open before the end of the year. [WWD] 

A lot of people are scrutinizing Sarah Palin based on her fashion sense. Meanwhile, Kazuo Kawasaki has reported a surge in sales for the Republican vice-presidential nominee's $375 rimless frames. [WWD]  read more »

Last Friday, the windows of various H&M outlets across the city were transformed into a brain-boggling, Austin Powers-dazzle of color. Orange, yellow, red, and grape soda-purple, exploded in 60s-esque chaos: a swingy hot-pink-and-orange trapeze dress, an ankle-length high-waist skirt in olive green with tangerine lava-lamp bubbles, a canary yellow and purple tunic.

Marimekko has officially arrived to the masses.  read more »

At 12:10 PM, I arrived at the H&M at 18th and Broadway, the nearest chez Observer, thinking I’d check out Roberto Cavalli’s new line for the chain. Its debut this morning had been hyped for weeks by images of Leigh Lezark, Jessica Stam, Erin Wasson, and Lydia Hearst partying it up with male models at Cavalli’s mansion in Italy.

The store was eerily calm.  read more »