There is usually one — if we’re lucky — properly big budget party per fashion week. In the millions big. And when a mega-brand (with a non-British approach to spending cash) does land on our doorsteps, everyone remembers.
In recent history, Gucci’s Tate Modern takeover (thousands of guests; Kate Moss dancing on the sofas; a disco ball so vast it looked like a small planet) and Prada’s Paradoxe perfume launch at the then never visited Outernet (which involved Emma Watson and a lightshow like no other), both come to mind. People still talk about them today.
This year, another city-shaking event has been promised. Tonight, H&M are flying in queen of Brat summer Charli XCX for the fashion week gig to end them all. Forget the luxury shows. Who cares if you are on the front row. The only ticket anyone cares about is one to the H&M party in East London.
To increase Charli fever, today she also released a new song, ‘Talk talk featuring troye sivan’, and confirmed a release date of 11 October for a new album titled 'Brat and it's completely different but also still brat'.
It all comes after the Apple and 360 singer posed up a storm in a leopard, faux fur coat for H&M’s new AW24 campaign — part the Swedish fast fashion label’s attempt to reposition itself as a more upmarket contender. Lila Moss, Arca, Lux Gillespie and Ajus Samuel are just some of the other names joining her in the campaign.
Unlike at Gucci and Prada’s events, though, H&M also opened up tickets to the public. Starting in August, everyone who signed up to their H&M Membership platform could be in with a chance to win a ticket (see what they did there?). Charli XCX and Jamie XX, the DJ and musician who will also play on the night, both shared links with their fans to apply for tickets as well. This phase has now, they tell me, ended.
But hope is not lost. A spokesperson for the brand says “for those looking to secure a ticket ahead of Thursday, unfortunately the event is now at capacity but if you keep an eye out across H&M and on social media, some last-minute tickets might be released.”
And then, there is always old fashion way: try and blag the door. Beware, though — various PR’s preparing themselves for an extremely busy night assure me they’ll be ready to get tough. What would a 3-6-5 party girl do?
