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 allure encouraged the design team to soften hard and rough edges. Witness lovely lingerie pieces with inset “lace” panels, a pink peplum sweater, a vintage wallpaper print, and floral jewelry, elements that are iconically—or stereotypically—feminine that stood in contrast to the collection’s more “masculine” tailoring, which included a double-breasted coat dress, a square-shouldered, stand collar blazer, and a number of pant suits. The his/her vibe is typical of all H&M Studio collections, but this season it especially emphasized the contrasts between “strictness and softness…rawness and sweetness.”