H&M Studio SS19
Transforming a fashion show into a two-day narrative adventure
The H&M Studio collection represents the pinnacle of the brand's fashion-forward design. Previously, the collection was always previewed with a runway show during Paris Fashion Week. However, as a high-street retailer, standing out amid fashion’s biggest names was always a challenge.
So, for their SS19 collection, we suggested stepping away from Fashion Week to create a moment entirely of their own. For two days in early March, we immersed 72 of the world’s top fashion influencers in a first-of-its-kind fashion experience.
The H&M Studio SS19 collection was inspired by a modern take on glamorous adventure, featuring everything from safari-style jackets to bold animal-print dresses. What better way to showcase the collection than by inviting our audience to step into its evocative world?
We brought influencers from over forty countries together in a truly magical setting: Sedona, nestled in the heart of the Arizona desert. The result was a first-of-its-kind immersive fashion journey. The groundbreaking storytelling format was part immersive theatre and part glamorous adventure – while still every bit a fashion show.
I worked with immersive director Connie Harrison to construct an original narrative that ran throughout the experience. This adventure played out in the real world, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Inspired by an overarching theme of discovery, our audience formed part of the storyline.
Within the fictional world of our story, the audience found themselves on a glamorous expedition—a journey curated exclusively for those with curious minds and adventurous spirits. The gathering had been arranged by three globetrotting friends: Yolanda, Sofia, and Frieda. But, of course, there was more to this story. Sedona is renowned as a place full of wonder and mystery; as such, the three friends were concealing a secret of their very own.
The adventure began the moment our audience arrived in Arizona, with a mysterious package. Everything that followed was a complete surprise – from scripted scenes and secret messages to unexpected encounters and hidden rooms.
All these discoveries led to a series of spectacular fashion moments. Each one bringing to life a key look within the collection – daywear, activewear, safari wear and evening wear.
This journey also featured an incredible cast of female talent, including a water-ballet routine, BMX stunt show, and surprise performances by Maggie Rogers and The Staves.
On the last night, the story concluded when the three friends revealed their secret: a rare natural light phenomenon. An uplifting, choreographed performance accompanied this uplifting moonlight spectacle.
A traditional runway show is all over in 15 minutes – moments before the next one begins. But our immersive format allowed us to capture our audience’s complete attention for over two days.
Throughout the experience, influencers were given the freedom to do what they do best: capture and share incredible content. Unlike other immersive formats, our audience was actively encouraged to take and share photos—after all, this was an expedition.
As a result, we achieved the highest-ever organic reach for an H&M collection. Over 48 hours, our influencers shared 1,890 social posts, which generated 1.25b+ views, likes and comments.
Meanwhile, H&M brought the adventure to life on their own channels. We crafted an interactive version of the expedition on Instagram Stories, enabling fans to follow the journey in real time. This included audience participation, live Q&As, and dynamic interactions with our influencers. The grand finale was also streamed live on Instagram (and TMall.com for our audience in China), with key highlights shared on IGTV so everyone could relive the magic.
Another important benefit of this immersive format was that our audience became part of the show. H&M styled every single influencer in a unique look so they would also be showcasing the collection.
Not only did the two-day event generate an abundance of social content, but it fuelled the entire global advertising. Within hours, footage from the event was edited down into a campaign. film. Additional footage and photography were featured in-store, across H&M.com and as shoppable social posts. The uniqueness of this format also attracted widespread coverage within the fashion press, including features in Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bizarre.
The culmination of all these elements ensured continual excitement leading up to the collection's launch a week later, which sold out in just ten days.
