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FLOWER power is back in the spotlight 2010-style with one of the most popular brands in Bahrain unveiling its latest collection.
As the weather begins to warm up, a new fashion mood is starting to blossom as this spring sees a women's collection of floral and feminine fashion in sustainable materials.
Fashion writers and photographers were shown the latest H&M creations at a special breakfast briefing at the outlet's Bahrain City Centre store last week.
Romantic, exotic, glamorous or abstract: this spring's floral patterns within the new branded Garden Collection promise to provide an injection of creativity across the kingdom.
These bright and flowery clothes aim to update and rejuvenate wardrobes and offer a modern, sustainable look whatever an individual's personal style, designers say.
The collection includes a feminine chiffon dress made from recycled polyester with a colourful garden print, a pinafore dress in organic cotton with romantic roses and a smock dress in organic cotton with an ethnic floral pattern.
An organic cotton top in a small floral design or a frilly chiffon top made from recycled polyester can be combined with cropped trousers or shorts in organic cotton or linen. A beige anorak can be worn over a floral jumpsuit, both of which come in tencel.
"We are extremely proud of our Garden Collection for women, which has organic and recycled materials in every single garment," said H&M's head of design Ann-Sofie Johansson. "The mix of floral prints and khaki classics works brilliantly for day to evening wear.
"I particularly like the sheer floral ruffle dress, the drawstring khaki jacket and the beautiful red rose bustier dress."
There is also a selection of garments in sustainable materials in the men's department. "There are some real highlights to look forward to," she added, "like the super-smart organic cotton slim-fit suit worn over a crisp gingham shirt."
The collection has already received acclaim from magazines, websites and fashion gurus alike. One critic gushed: "H&M has given me another reason to look forward to spring. Its new Garden Collection is not only flirty and fresh, but also sustainable. Every piece from this collection was designed using organic materials, recycled PET bottles, or textile waste. Who would have thought discarded waste could be turned into girly chiffon frocks, garden print tops, crisp linen shorts and blazers? If this doesn't make you want to recycle, I don't know what will."
Everything appears rosy in the H&M garden and it has been interesting to unearth how the phenomenon came about.
There are no Henneses or Mauritzes behind H&M: just the Perssons, a no-nonsense Swedish clan who have conquered the fashion market. When it opened its first store in Hong Kong in 2007 customers camped outside for 48 hours.
H&M's name is a reflection of the dynasty's pragmatic founder Erling Persson, who chose the name 'Hennes' - Swedish for 'hers' - because the first store sold only women's clothes.
Mr Persson, a salesman, got the idea on a business trip to the US just after the Second World War. The H&M credo was born when he visited a retailer that appeared to balance high sales volumes with low prices. He opened the first Hennes store in his native city of Vasteras in 1947.
H&M grew steadily during the fifties and sixties, with its added 'M' namely 'Mauritz' in 1968 after buying the Mauritz Widforss store. But, it was under the leadership of Erling's son Stefan, who took charge of the international business in the late seventies, that the seeds of global success were sown.
H&M now boasts 1,500 stores in 28 countries. In a further sign of its fashion mettle, it has even managed to make a go of the US, a market that has defeated many European rivals. It opened its first store in New York in 2000 and now has 150 shops.
Management has opted to collaborate with big-name designers and celebrities on clothing collections and says it meets demand for new styles with daily deliveries of stock to its stores.
H&M has also proved to be one of the major 'pulling power' stores in the Bahrain City Centre complex which opened 15-months ago and was brought to the kingdom under the umbrella of M.H. Alshaya Co.
There are two shops in the City Centre, one offering the family range, the other focusing on the young, alongside an outlet at Seef Mall.
The leading international franchise operator has more than 55 of the world's most recognised retail brands in its portfolio - alongside H&M are Starbucks, Mothercare, Debenhams, American Eagle, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, P.F. Chang's, Office Depot and Boots. M.H. Alshaya Co operates 1,800 stores across seven divisions: Fashion & footwear, health & beauty, food services, optics, pharmaceuticals, office supplies and home furnishings.
Stores can currently be found in 15 markets across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Cyprus, Russia, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic. It employs more than 18,000 people from over 60 nationalities.
M.H. Alshaya Co is the retail business of the Alshaya Group, which was founded in Kuwait in 1890 and today represents one of the most dynamic companies in the Middle East.
In addition to its retail operations, the Alshaya Group is active in a number of other sectors including real estate, automotive, hotels, trading and investments.
