H&M Group’s London-based COS brand has launched a collaboration with another London-based business, interior design specialist Studio Ashby under founder and creative director Sophie Ashby, to unveil a curated selection of artworks by mainly British women artists.
Displayed in “reimagined store environments” on the city’s Regent Street, as well as Rue Tronchet in Paris and a recently opened location on Aleksanterinkatu in Helsinki, it “reinforces the brand’s deep-rooted connection to modern culture – a consistent source of inspiration,” we’re told.
Each artwork has been “thoughtfully integrated into the store interiors, creating warm and immersive environments where fashion, art and culture intersect”.
They’ll remain part of the COS collection longer term and are designed to “serve as a synergic backdrop to COS’ collections”.
While most of the artists chosen are British, in the London flagship, Finnish artist Milla Vaahtera has been chosen for a lighting installation that “fuses bold glass forms with delicate brass, reinterpreting heritage craft techniques with a modern sensibility”.
In Paris, a painting by British artist Alice Neave “explores materiality, colour and texture, joined by the artwork of South African artist Erin Chaplin, examining the relationship between the natural and artificial”.
And the Helsinki store features a woven piece by British artist Dalia James, “exploring the dynamic interplay of colour and geometry, alongside an evocative oil painting by British artist Anna Ilsley, highlighting the complexities of motherhood”.
COS also said the spaces have been “elevated by carefully chosen materials — from bespoke micro-paper and plywood tables handmade by Paper Factor to Kasthall’s hand-tufted wool rugs, made to order using surplus production yarn”. The details see the retailer experimenting with colour and texture.
It’s part of an ongoing process that has seen H&M Group elevating COS, enhancing its overall desirability and making it stand out. That has included it launching its first perfume collection earlier this year and also recent runway initiatives such as last autumn’s New York Fashion Week show.
COS has become an in-demand affordable-premium label and has featured in the usually-luxury-focused Lyst Index in recent quarters. It comes in a market that’s increasingly embracing premium brands as consumers rethink their addiction to fast-fashion due to its sustainability impact and also their love of luxury as prices go through the roof.
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