Marni Army

It's a funny thing a high street/designer collaboration. I've never been able to work out if it heightens the value of the high street label or devalues the designer element. Valentino x Gap failed to raise my pulse. Jason Wu x Target left me indifferent and Mary Katrantzou x Topshop (as much as I adore her own line) was never going to be a threat to my bank account.

Then Marni waded in. And things got hazy.

I have long been an admirer of the designs and own a couple of incredible key pieces already. These left my bank card a little frazzled at the time so when I heard she was joining forces with high street giants H&M I, and my bank manager, breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that the designer had somewhat 'sold out' to the mass production of the high street and although I agree with Masato (designer for Giles Deacon and owner of self-named brand) who, in my earlier interview with him, had said he loves collaborations as they link designers and the every day man I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. And really - should I be buying into it?

Surely a little peak couldn't hurt, could it? Which is what I did after work this evening. Well, what I actually did was venture into H&M to return a top that I'd purchased without trying on a couple of nights ago and there it was...the collection.

I just popped over - mainly as I was surprised there was any left - and then I saw them.  A pair of gladiator sandals I had admired several times in the promo shots and window displays set up in preparation for the launch.

 

My trusty sandals that I wore religiously gave up the ghost last summer so I was in need of a new pair. Because of my earlier personal quibble about the devaluation of a brand that was once the preserve of the most stylish women in the world I decided to view them for what they are at their most basic - a stylish pair of sandals that will go with EVERYTHING this S/S. And one pair of my size left? It was meant to be.

 

Success.

Did you buy anything from this latest collaboration? Let me know what you think to it all...