H&M announced its latest designer collaboration with Anamika Khanna on Thursday.
This partnership coincides with the 20th anniversary of H&M’s first designer collaboration, which began with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004. Over the years, H&M has collaborated with renowned designers such as Alexander Wang, Diane von Furstenberg, and Stella McCartney. This marks H&M’s second collaboration with an Indian designer, following the successful partnership with Sabyasachi Mukherjee in 2021. Like Sabyasachi, Khanna is based in Kolkata.
Khanna launched her brand in 1998 and is recognized as one of India’s top designers. The collaboration comes as H&M approaches a decade of operations in India, having launched there in 2015. Currently, H&M operates approximately 62 stores across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in the country.
The Anamika Khanna collection will launch on September 5 in select countries, including 20 stores in India, as well as in the U.K., South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, with the goal of introducing Indian design to these markets.
While Khanna is often associated with high-glamour wedding wear, her H&M collection aims to blend glamour with comfort, reimagining traditional cuts such as kurta pajamas, caftans, and lungi skirts. In an exclusive interview with WWD, she explained, “It starts off with a sense of glamour, even in its loungewear. It’s very easy, very relaxed, and versatile enough for either daywear or eveningwear — it’s your personal take on it. It’s lounge, but the boundaries are blurred.”
Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design for H&M, praised Khanna as a “master of contrasts,” noting her ability to blend feminine and masculine elements to create something entirely new. The collaboration took 15 months to develop. Johansson added, “It’s a different approach to fashion. The relaxation, the versatility, the different ways to style it up or down, and a little bit of subtle sportiness in it.”
Johansson emphasized that H&M chooses designers they admire and believe their customers will appreciate. “When we choose a designer, we only go with someone we connect with,” she said. “There’s always a bit of fashion frenzy with collaborations, creating a sense of urgency and excitement among consumers.”
Translating high fashion into affordable retail can be challenging, but both Khanna and Johansson highlighted the importance of “the edit” in ensuring the right elements are included and understood by both parties.
“It wasn’t that difficult,” Khanna remarked. “It required thoughtful planning; it was meticulous and needed time and love to translate the designs. You have to know how to edit and prioritize key factors — for example, sustainability, practicality, price, and how the silhouettes work for each country.”
The collection will feature womenswear, menswear, and accessories, showcasing prints and embroidery with easy silhouettes, many emphasizing the midriff, which Khanna described as a “part of Indian heritage with the sari.” She remarked, “The open midriff being adopted by the rest of the world is great — we saw it being taken internationally and now it’s come back.”
Khanna noted a trend toward blurring boundaries in fashion, stating, “I don’t see a single person who just wants to wear one particular style. Everyone wants to create their own style and make a statement. People are looking for timelessness, and a lot of international fashion is being incorporated in India.”
The growth of fast fashion retail in India is also contributing to this transformation, with local brands and department store chains like Shoppers Stop and Reliance Trends, alongside global brands like Zara and H&M, setting the pace. Amit Kothari, head of customer activation and marketing for H&M India, commented,
“The potential size of the market speaks for itself, which is upwards of 100 million people. The fact that people appreciate what we’re offering keeps us motivated, and there’s a growing awareness of fashion.”
When asked if India is influencing design for H&M, Johansson replied, “Not just for H&M, but for the world; for the fashion industry itself, which is looking for something new. It’s all in the mix.” She emphasized that inspiration from various parts of the world and curiosity are driving fashion, along with the need to stay relevant and evolve.
“You can’t lean back; you have to push yourself all the time — whether you are an independent designer like Anamika or a larger brand like H&M. You always have to be moving forward, and that is what makes fashion so interesting,”
she said.
Earlier this year, H&M also launched a collaboration with Rok Hwang, whom Johansson described as being at the “forefront of a new wave of Korean designers” with his London-based brand, Rokh. “We constantly ask ourselves if we will continue these collaborations. Everyone’s doing collaborations today; it’s nothing new, unlike when we first started. But there are so many creative and passionate designers,” she said, clearly enjoying the process.
