If you were planning to check yourself in for some retail rehab, this year might be your undoing. H&M hones its plans for world wardrobe domination with their latest announcement: the launch of a new retail brand called Arket. The new brand will join the H&M portfolio that already includes COS, Cheap Monday and Monki, as well as the eponymous high street brand.
But if H&M’s ubiquitousness is it’s biggest drawback, the Swedish fashion juggernaut is ensuring that Arket will cater to more refined sensibilities. And yes, that means higher price points. Imagine buying a shirt for about $42 and upwards. Further disconnecting their philosophy from that of H&M, the brand will offer timeless, classic designs that are not dominated by trends.
According to an article in the Business of Fashion, the new brand is being imagined as a marketplace, selling a mix of Arket’s designs along with products from non-H&M brands. “We really believe it’s relevant to a modern customer to bring different brands together — under one roof, under one channel — and to make that choice for them and also make it more convenient,” the article quoted Ulrika Bernhardtz, Arket’s creative director, as saying.
While the first store is due to open in London, the brand will be available online in 18 countries in Europe, their key market. A few stores will also house an Arket cafe, featuring “new Nordic” cuisine to “make the modern-day market a destination where you can both shop and enjoy healthy food.
