One way to understand H&M Studio’s fall collection is as an extension—and a celebration—of the Swedish brand’s expansion into Brazil with a first store in São Paolo. Inspired by the “melting pot” culture of the country, the team attempted to create a bridge between the Brazilian and Swedish capitals: hot versus cold, the rawness of brutalism versus the polish of minimalism…. This concept was more convincing on paper than in practice, although exposed zippers, raw wedges, a dry wool coat with permanent creases, and “a concrete feeling [that] comes through the colors in the gray tones,” as as Ann-Sofie Johansson put it on a call, did touch on the idea of Brutalism.
In São Paolo, Johannson noted, you “can really see the uber feminine women, which you don’t really find in Stockholm.” Their al