If someone who works in fashion tells you that her job doesn’t have any perks, I personally give you permission to slap her, or at the very least, call her a liar (but also slap her, because how often do you get a chance to backhand someone in real life and then blame it on a fashion blogger?) Tonight, the perk wagon came around and dropped me off squarely at the Marni x H&M press preview. (Missed the lookbook? We’ve got it here, for reference.)
Now, in case you assumed that members of the fashion media would conduct themselves with grace and courtesy when presented with the opportunity to buy clothes, you were mistaken, and I’m not sure why you had such a high opinion of us in the first place. Particularly when an industry favorite like Marni is involved, fashion girls can throw bows with the best of them. I did come away with some shoes and accessories, though, and more importantly, I came away with your first inside info on what the collection is like in person.
First things first: Marni is known for its costume jewelry, and the H&M jewelry counterparts are good. Also, if you want the jewelry, go early and be vicious, because it’ll be the very first stuff cleaned off the shelves. As far as quality goes, everything I saw was exactly what you’d expect based on the lookbook photos, except for the white plastic flower necklace, which I still can’t figure out how to wear and which I will be taking back. Other than that, if you liked it in the photos, you’ll more than likely want one when you see it in real life.
Obviously, the bags were my next point of attack. Both of the featured tote options were cute, but I couldn’t see myself carrying either one for the price ($49.95). If I had to pick, my choice would have been the slim tote with the translucent green top, although both were pretty cute. Most of those were snatched up pretty quickly too, although I saw a couple that had been discarded around the registers when people were making last-minute purchasing decisions. It’s always good to lurk around the registers in these kinds of situations.
If the shoes are your thing, they were snatched up almost as quickly as the jewelry. I saw a little bit of almost everything while I was at the store, but the only thing that I didn’t see discarded in any corners for slightly late-arriving (if by late, you mean on time, which was apparently late for this shindig) opportunists like myself were the platform shoes. Although admittedly, I was shopping with a bunch of other fashion people, so the heels might disappear more slowly depending on the demographics of the people in your location. I did score a pair of the flat silver sandals for $49.95, and they’re actually quite nice – real leather and everything. Try finding real leather shoes for $50 at a department store; I bet you’ll be sorely disappointed.
As far as the clothes went, I have to admit that I wasn’t patient enough to try anything on and most of the good stuff was being hoarded by the time I got inside anyway. From what I saw of my friends’ hauls as they were waiting to check out, the materials were surprisingly substantial, particularly on the suiting. Also, if you liked the deep gold brocade that you saw on many of Fall 2012′s runways in New York, this Marni collection has several pieces that fit the trend perfectly for a very reasonable price. Or, you know, if you just like Marni’s weird prints. There’s plenty of that, if you’re so inclinded. (And I am, I’m just not a very vicious shopper.)
Are you planning to hit up the collection launch tomorrow morning? Which pieces are you coveting? Let us know in the comments!
