There's something particularly satisfying about spotting a piece on the runway and knowing you don't have to wait six months to wear it. That's the idea behind H&M's latest London Fashion Week show—the brand will present its Autumn 26 collection with a selection of the pieces available to shop straight after they appear on the runway. It's a simple enough concept, but one that feels especially relevant now that we're in September and are all suddenly looking at our wardrobes with fresh eyes. After all, the most exciting part of seeing a new collection is deciding which pieces you'd actually want to wear.
Here, you can do exactly that. Following tomorrow's show, the first drop of H&M's Autumn 26 womenswear collection will become available online that evening, and you can shop it in store from 18 September, alongside pieces from the H&M Atelier menswear collection. In the meantime, we've had a sneak peek at some of what's to come, and there are already a few pieces I have my eye on.
The show itself—called H&M&YOU&I—will take a slightly different approach to the usual runway format. Creatively directed by Nick Knight, the presentation will look at the relationship between fashion, technology and the ways we connect with one another, bringing together influences from photography, film, music, architecture and theatre. From the preview, it's clear that the clothes will be an important part of the story, with the womenswear taking a more dressed-up direction for autumn.
The pieces I've had an early look at are the ones with a little more going on. A sweeping cream gown with ruffles is certainly not an everyday buy, but it gives a good sense of where the collection is heading. There are also babydoll dresses, sheer lace panels, corset details and high-neck shirts, with a touch of Victoriana running through some of the details. It's a look that feels rooted in the past without asking you to dress head-to-toe in one particular era. I can already imagine wearing the ornate shirts with jeans and flats, or taking some of the more dramatic pieces down a notch with simpler layers.
Then there are the accessories: mixed-metal jewellery, heeled boots and strappy sandals that bring the looks together without needing to match perfectly. It's considered minimalism with a maximalist approach, but one that leaves plenty of room for personal styling. From the sneak peek alone, it's easy to see how the more statement pieces could be worked into an existing wardrobe rather than saved for one-off occasions. That, for me, is what makes the collection interesting before we've even seen the full show.
The menswear offering takes a similar approach, with the H&M Atelier collection looking at different chapters of tailoring and classic menswear. There are ombré stripes and shadow checks across shirting, alongside sharply cut trousers, blazers, leather outerwear and denim. Loafers and Derby shoes keep the footwear classic, whilst the more directional pieces give the collection a slightly less expected edge. Even if you're shopping womenswear, there's plenty here to take inspiration from.
I've always liked the idea of borrowing from menswear without making an entire outfit feel "gendered", and the combination of tailored trousers, a classic shirt and a more substantial jacket is an easy place to start. It also speaks to the wider mood of the H&M collection: there's an appreciation for clothes with a sense of history, but they're designed to be worn now rather than treated as costume.
And then there's the part that makes it all particularly easy to get behind as a shopper: there's no lengthy wait between seeing something on the runway and getting your hands on it. Tomorrow's show will give us the full picture, but the first pieces from the Autumn 26 collection will be available to shop almost immediately afterwards. So, while we're waiting to see the full looks come down the runway, I already know I'll be paying close attention to the details—the styling, the accessories and, of course, the pieces that make me want to rethink my autumn wardrobe.
H&M's latest London Fashion Week presentation is about to give us a first look at its Autumn 26 collection, and there's already plenty to pique my interest from this early preview. With the show taking place tomorrow, the countdown is officially on. And for anyone watching along and spotting a favourite, the best part is that you won't have to wait months to make it yours. The first pieces of the womenswear collection will be available to shop online from tomorrow evening here and in store from 18 September.
