TEENAGE // A Film About Youth

TEENAGE teaser from Teenage on Vimeo.

Shop Report // COS // H&M

Glancing at H&M’s glossy Anna Dello Russo shop display on Regent Street, it was hard to believe that the cool, refined COS store in the distance was also owned by the retail giant Hennes & Mauritz.  Apart from their tenuous links as sister companies and a shared desire to deliver quality clothing at an affordable price, the brands’ visions seem to have little in common.  From browsing their websites it is clear that H&M strives to design on-trend clothing for the fashion conscious while COS offers customers affordable minimalist style using high quality fabrics.

H&M sells clothing for men, women and children. In 2010, they launched their first homeware collection.

COS also sells men's and children's wear.

Located within close proximity to COS and situated between Banana Republic and Armani Exchange, the H&M Regent Street store gave me the impression of a youthful, exciting brand with lots to offer; an accessories collection in collaboration with Anna Dello Russo, men’s autumnal colour contrast suits and a Lana Del Ray campaign shoot framed in the distance above the busy tills. As I entered the store, the sound of No Doubt’s latest girly pop track “Settle Down” hit my ears and I began to see that most of the shoppers were young twenty-something women with the odd boyfriend/middle-aged parent in tow.  The entrance of the brightly lit ground floor showcased H&M’s latest Autumn/Winter womenswear clothing while Ikea-esque white shelving units on the sides stocked specific basics such as slacks, jumpers and tights.  At the back of the store, escalators to other floors overlapped a chic illustrated backlit wall featuring the same red light H&M logo as the shop front signs.

NO DOUBT // SETTLE DOWN

Fancy interior design aside, H&M clothing comprised of cheap low quality materials such as polyester and acrylic with fashionable designs.  There were several garments I noticed around the store that reminded me of designers such as Stella McCartney, Prada and Ashish.  Typical autumn/ winter shades of red, brown and grey were dominant across the store’s clothing with hints of pastels, neon and floral prints lingering from summer collections.  Leather, sequins, beads and sparkly fibres were also popular, no doubt influenced by the recent Fashion Weeks.

Price-wise, H&M keep to their promise of fashion ‘at the best price’; basic tops cost as little as £3.99 while a silk shirt from the ‘Premium Quality’ range is reasonable at £29.99.  Some of the more intricate garments involving machine embroidery, prints and beading range between £25-£35.  When I visited the changing rooms in-store, I noticed the female shop assistant was wearing a graphic print skirt with bold eyebrow make up, berry coloured lipstick and a fashionable hair top knot.  To me, her look summed up H&M’s vision and offering to high street customers; runway styles and trends replicable at an affordable price.  However, items from the Anna Dello Russo accessories collection were very expensive; prices ranged from £29.99 for a gemstone ring to £199.99 for a pair of thigh high leather boots.

After a short walk down the street, I arrived at COS; the store had an expensive feel from the outside as it had prime position on the street corner with Liberty’s situated next door.  The shop window displays consisted of a muted grey, brown and cream palette with classic white mannequins dressed in typical COS minimalist design.  As I entered the store, I immediately noticed how much warmer the lighting seemed in comparison with H&M’s bright fluorescents; the black ceiling studded with spotlights made the room look smaller and less lofty.  As a result, the store seemed more like a luxury showroom of clothes than a large retail unit.  While H&M played pop music straight from the chart, the COS store playlist consisted of hip electro remixes of indie bands such as Two Door Cinema Club. 

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB // SOMETHING GOOD CAN WORK (THE TWELVES REMIX)

This photo was taken from COS website; I was told by the Store Manager that photography was not permitted inside the store before I had chance to take any pictures of the store layout.  

The wooden stands of minimalist clothing were clearly separated by colour themes such as monochrome, delicate blush shades with cream and mixed browns with flashes of neon yellow and orange.  Black was also used as an indicator of the mostly male shop staff; one assistant looked as though he had stepped out of ‘The Sartorialist’ with his tapered crop trousers, wide neck t-shirt and black ankle socks with brogues.  The customers in COS were older and had a more sophisticated sense of style in comparison to the young trendy types who shopped in H&M; a man in his late twenties/early thirties wearing a polo neck jumper and brown suede shoes sauntered around the lower floor while a young woman with a classic bob haircut and tailored black coat was browsing the clothing stands.

As I wandered around the store, it was obvious the clothing had it’s own individual style instead of replicating seasonal designer trends; I found no obvious runway clothing copies whereas H&M stocked many.  Although most garments were more expensive than H&M at around £40-80, the clothing was made from better quality materials such as wool, leather and silk with inventive tailoring.

Hennes & Mauritz has created a broad customer base by owning two labels with completely different ethos’ to fashion design and branding.  While H&M delivers cheap versions of runway trends to the masses, COS has a mature identity and a select target market seeking minimalist style.  Despite their differences, both brands ultimately work towards the same goal: quality design at an affordable price.