Are you ready to reboot your style template? H&M Studio’s Autumn/Winter 2021 collection is charged with attitude, passion and regal spirit – and it’s ready to rule the world. Designed to strengthen and empower, the collection mixes and matches dramatic volumes with energetic bodysuits and leggings, oversized tailoring with second-skin knitwear, glamorous crystal-studded accessories with streetwise loungewear. Simply put: it’s fit for a new-gen queen.

Inspired by an agenda-setting muse that is fearless, brave, and unafraid to make a statement, the Autumn collection is full of regal style references, including a custom-designed “Queendom” print in a graffiti-style scrawl. A punchy color palette of royal blue, power purple, and acidic shots of orange and green enliven pale grey, black and cream staples; and the collection is made with more sustainably sourced materials such as recycled polyester, organic cotton and recycled polyamide. H&M Studio is H&M’s most directional, fashion-forward offering. Developed by an in-house design team at the brand’s Stockholm atelier, the limited-edition collections are unveiled biannually.
Volume is a recurring theme: a puffer jacket, puff-ball mini dress and a series of wide-legged trousers featuring clever cut-outs at the knees are all key pieces. Then there’s a modern variation on a three-piece, pinstriped suit: a shrunken jacket and bustier top that pairs with baggy trousers. Equally important are skin-tight bodysuits, leggings and mesh tops, some sprinkled with sequins and rhinestones, which switch up the silhouette and emphasize elevated comfort. Underwear sets with multi-straps and metal ring details are designed to be seen, pairing just as seamlessly with sweatshirts and T-shirts as with cropped knitwear.

“We were inspired by modern women who can command power in any situation, whether they’re wearing a pinstriped suit or lace dress. We wanted to create versatile designs that you can style to suit your mood, but that always hit you in the solar plexus – these are statement-making designs for confident women,” says Linda Wikell, Concept Designer for H&M Studio.

As for accessories, more is more: a rubberized rhinestone collar necklace and waterfall-style choker come with hardware-store fastenings and contain recycled zinc and brass, blending glamour with grit. Similarly, stiletto-heeled boots with a chunky platform toe and heavy gumboots, both partly rendered in VEGEA, a plant-based alternative to oil-based and animal-derived leathers made from discarded grape skins leftover from the wine-making process, bring attitude to after-dark outfits.

“It feels like the right time for a strong Studio collection designed to make you feel like a queen. Comfort is still key, but we’ve amped up the attitude with empowering pieces in ultra-comfortable fabrics to make you look and feel confident,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M.

We speak further with Creative Advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson, Concept Designer Linda Wikell and Print Designer Moa Bartling to get you all the details on this amazing collection:

Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor
How would you describe this collection in 3 words? What inspired it?
Courage, attitude, comfort. We started with this word, “Queendom”, and created mood boards of fearless, confident women who we found inspiring. We wanted to create a collection that was empowering, that made you feel invincible when you pulled on the garments, so there was an emphasis on attitudinal designs. At the same time, over the last year we have all become accustomed to wearing more comfortable pieces while being confined to our homes, so comfort was also key. We settled on a kind of “elevated comfort”, so the collection contains not only sweatpants, but suiting in stretchy, soft fabrics, and dresses with volume that feels easy to wear.
You have been the Creative Advisor for H&M since 2015, is it easier or harder to find fresh ideas every season?
I oversee a number of extremely creative individuals and teams who are always bursting with exciting ideas, inspired by art, by nature, by our customers, by social media… There are always challenges, and the last year when we were unable to travel on the research trips we would often make before designing collections certainly presented obstacles. But we have a very talented team at H&M so there are always new ideas – we never run out!
What is your favorite item from this collection?
I have three! I love the motorcycle coat, which is a great functional winter coat that will be good for the Swedish weather; the pin-striped suit, because I love tailoring that is timeless and versatile; and the crystal choker, because it’s always good to have a bit of bling.

Linda Wikell, Concept Designer
As a concept designer, what is your role in the designing process?
I work with a dedicated team that designs the H&M Studio collections under the guidance of Ann-Sofie. We come up with the ideas that drive the collections each season. H&M Studio is our most fashion-forward offering, so it’s really an opportunity to give our customers a super-refined collection in premium fabrics that speaks to a mood of the season while offering timeless wardrobe pieces.
What is the most special feature of this collection?
We really wanted this collection to be unapologetically empowering. As a result, it’s extremely edited and focused. As a design team, we said to each other, if the garments don’t hit you in the solar plexus, then we won’t include them. It’s also democratic in the sense that you might be living in a tiny village in the middle of the countryside, but if you’re wearing these clothes, whichever way you want, you can be a queen.
What is your favorite item from this collection?
It’s a very versatile collection so it’s difficult for me to choose, but I really love the contrasts you can create with the silhouette. For example, pairing the oversized puffer jacket with slim leggings; or the other way round, pairing a mesh top with slouchy pants. It’s about making it yours.

Moa Bartling, Print Designer
The A/W collection is always a clear transition from summer prints and fabrics, how do you make sure it stays fun and exciting even in heavier fabrics?
I think the success of a print is always about having a clear idea. Obviously, we always have samples to test the prints on different fabrics. But it always comes back to clarity of expression. With this collection, we wanted the prints to incorporate global influences, so I created graffiti-style scribbles in felt pens, using Spanish and English phrases. It gives the collection a street-wise feeling.
The color palette is punchy, why did you choose these colors?
We were talking as a team about the importance of fearlessness. We wanted things to feel uplifting and energizing, and naturally, that dictated bright colors.
What is your favorite item from this collection?
I really love the puff-ball dress with the graffiti print, the Los Manos rainbow print came out so well on the recycled polyester and gives what is quite a simple silhouette a real injection of energy.

The H&M Studio AW21 collection will be available exclusively online at kw.hm.com and the H&M MENA App from September 9 with prices starting from KD 6.990.