EXCLUSIVE: & Other Stories and A.W.A.K.E. Fashion Collab brings the avant-garde to the high street

LONDON — Avant-garde — but for the masses.

The sustainable subsidiary brand of H&M & Other Stories has collaborated with London brand A.W.A.K.E. Fashion on a collection that will be released this fall.

A.W.A.K.E. Mode is led by founder Natalia Alaverdian, former fashion director for Harper's Bazaar Russia. The 14-piece collection consists of 12 ready-to-wear pieces and two accessories, and is set to release in late October.

Since launching her label in 2012, Alaverdian's designs have brought a playful twist to the deconstructed aesthetic espoused by '90s anti-fashion designers such as Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester .

The & Other Stories team enlisted Alaverdian for the collaboration. She said she and her mother were big fans of the brand, but for her it was always about how the physical stores gave her a sense of convenience.

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& Other Stories was launched in 2013 with a vision that merges the minimalism of Cos and the more feminine design of H&M. The brand has workshops between Paris, Stockholm and Los Angeles, and 76 stores in 24 markets in Europe, the United States and Asia.

Alaverdian felt very encouraged to accept the job with the retailer without hesitation, she said.

"It's quite edgy, but without being too snobbish or heavy," she said. Courtesy of & Other Stories x A.W.A.K.E. Fashion

"It's quite edgy, but not too snobbish or heavy," she said, adding that's why she felt comfortable designing for the brand. , because that's what she tries to convey in her own pieces.

Alaverdian said it never wants to intimidate its customers with the deep side of the design, and believes the radical design can be comfortable and anyone can find a place for it in their wardrobe.

This is A.W.A.K.E Mode's first collaboration with a major retail chain. & Other Stories' portfolio of partnerships has always included a cast of industry insiders, from Rodarte, Rejina Pyo to Zana Bayne and Sadie Williams.

During this process, Alaverdian was granted full design freedom, with & Other Stories handling production and fabric sourcing. The collection includes slightly low-cut ribbed knits, a black skirt with square seams to give it the illusion of quilting, a black coat with a cutout in the back and a white shirt with a bustier attached.

The Swedish brand said it aims to achieve 100% sustainably sourced or recycled materials by 2030.

Alaverdian is transparent about the durability of the pieces in the collection. "Not all fabrics are sustainable, but the wool is from the Responsible Wool Standard and we also used Naia yarn," she said. In his own practice...