3 Ways to Shop the Balmain x H&M Collection Like a Pro

Trendy designer hook-ups with popular mega-retailers are no longer a rare occurrence in the fashion realm. New announcements of the latest in fast fashion collabs tend to spring up faster than our bank accounts can recover. Upon the announcement in May of the Balmain x H&M collection, pure pandemonium exploded.

With star-studded promos teasing top runway models Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Jourdan Dunn – the Balmain takeover or shall we say revolution had merely just begun. Sprinkle in the crème de la crème of the imagery in form of Balmain’s young and hip creative director Olivier Rousteing, and the cutting edge meets millennial rebel fashion brand is now an unstoppable force.

Thursday, November 5^th is marked in many a fashionista’s calendar as the day of all things Balmain x H&M. And with the carefully marketed buzz generated around the collection’s release, our fashion senses perked to dish on the ultimate guide to shopping designer collabs like a pro – because let’s face it – we’ve been to more of these launches year after year than one can shake their stiletto at.

So as you dip out of work or maybe take the day off “sick” (cough, cough) – here’s our top 3 tips to working this collab out like a pro. Drink lots of water, wear comfortable yet stylish shoes, and get ready – the ultimate of all designer collabs is about to commence.

1. Arrive early — before the doors even open. It’s like the old adages say: “The early bird catches the worm.” Or “To be early is to be on time, and to be on time is to be late.” Well, you get our drift. This is one collection you will gladly rise before your alarm buzzes, with no snooze necessary. For online shoppers, get the finger weights out. Your trigger finger needs to be all set and ready to go, with no seven second delay for distractions or pauses.

2. Study the collection and know your purchases before you set foot in the store. Give yourself an extra gold star for printing out your carefully curated list of must-haves ahead of time. Preparation is key. Per H&M guidelines (see below), each customer will only have 15 minutes to shop the collection. So know before you go!

3. Prepare to wait. Good things come to those who wait and in our experience, even if you’re the early bird or the earliest of birds, you still may have to wait. While your fashion A.D.D. is more than likely to explode – control yourself. A glance over H&M’s guidelines puts us at ease that there will be order in the fashion court and justice for all – well at least for the first 420 customers that show up.

As with every carefully plotted revolution, there needs to be order and structure – so in pure Balmain army form, H&M released its guidelines for shopping the ultimate in collabs. Read them, know them, love them and commit them to memory. And as with any daring fashion mission – may the force of good fits, no bloating, quick hands, and a swift card swipe be with you.

***Balmain x H&M Guidelines***

• The collection is available in select stores from 8 am local time and online from 8 am EST on November 5, 2015.
• To allow as many customers as possible to buy from the Balmain x H&M collection, online purchases are limited to no more than one item per product, i.e. one size (shoes/garments) or piece (accessories). Store purchases are limited to no more than two items per product. This applies to all items in the collection.
• The first 420 people in line will be given a colored bracelet – 14 colors with one for each group of 30 customers. Your color determines when it’s your time to shop in the designer collection area. Each group will have 15 minutes to shop. The bracelets are only for customers shopping the Balmain x H&M collection.
• If you are not in the first 420, you can still shop in the store, as the bracelet system only applies to the Balmain x H&M collection. After the last group shops we’ll open the designer collection area to all customers.
• If you arrive before the store opens, please join the line and our staff will tell you how the shopping system works. As the designer collections are usually very popular, there are a few things to keep in mind for a great shopping experience.