Un giant topiary pigeon, a cascade of high glycemic index jellies and cakes and a retro dancefloor set up among ancient woods and tapestries where you can let loose to the contagious rhythm of the legendary Sugababes. On the evening of October 22nd H&M and Glenn Martens enlivened the historic Skinners’ Hall in London with an unconventional Made in UK party. A night of celebration with a stellar parterre that fully reflects the character of the capsule collection created by the Belgian designer for the Swedish giant (out in store and online on October 30th).
After the inclusive show at the last London Fashion Week, H&M returns to the spotlight in the City and harks back to the spirit of Cool Britannia – the cultural and creative movement which, between the 1990s and 2000s, literally made the passion for the United Kingdom explode. An irresistible mix of fashion, music and irony that returns to the spotlight, reinterpreted according to the creative genius of the well-known designer.
H&M Glenn Martens, the party at Skinners’ Hall
A decadent luxury, a nostalgic elegance based on an unmistakable aesthetic – at least for those who, like the designer, have experienced it. At Skinners’ Hall, the historic home of one of London’s oldest guilds (rebuilt in 1672 after the Great Fire of 1666), H&M and Glenn Martens wanted to celebrate once again in pure British style. The occasion, a party that recalls the atmosphere of Saltburncult film for Gen Z, but with a BritPop rhythm 1998, when the girl band composed of Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan began to take their first steps in the world of music.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, Sugababes Mutya Buena, Siobhán Donaghy and Keisha Buchanan and Glenn Martens at the H&M Glenn Martens event in London on the evening of October 22, 2025 (Photo by Darren Gerrish/WireImage for H&M).
Sugababes. And so much… sugar
For themunleashed at the console, time seems to have stopped Round Round (2005) e Push the buttom (2008). The iconic group of the Y2K era is the surprise soul of the party (along with internationally renowned DJs Chloé Caillet, The Dare and Kirollus). It is strange to hear their verses resound in one of the symbolic places of London, which in the Middle Ages hosted the ancient professional associations of arts and crafts. Today, what is artfully laid out is a table covered with sweets of all kinds, which stands out amidst psychedelic lights. And what stands out, in addition to the music and the set-up, are above all the special guests dressed in garments from the capsule collection.
Who was at the H&M and Glenn Martens party in London
Not even the pouring rain stopped the crowd of cool people. The queens of the evening, together with the Sugababes, the actresses Cynthia Erivo and Jodie Turner-Smith: the first with the effect slip dress trompe-l’œil and the asymmetrical black coat, the second in total denim with the bustier dress and faded maxi cuissardes, both key looks of the capsule. Among other stars and socialitesMilly Alcock, Shygirl and Joe Locke.
Cynthia Erivo at the London event, in H&M Glenn Martens (Photo: Darren Gerrish/H&M).
The atmosphere, that of a very armored party in an ancient manorbut in the heart of the English capital. “Seeing guests dance wearing the pieces from the collection was like watching a movie,” said Glenn Martens. «The campaign and the capsule collection are so playful, and this evening was the perfect reflection of that» added Ann-Sofie Johansson, Head of Design at H&M who worked closely with the designer on the co-lab.
Jodie Turner-Smith at the London event, in H&M Glenn Martens (Photo: Darren Gerrish/H&M).
H&M and Glenn Martens, Perfect Union
Disruptive and ironic, Glenn Martens has always made transformism his signature. Creative director of Y/Projectat the helm of Diesel and now also about Maison Margielais the designer capable of bringing together tradition and provocation, denim and couture, logic and chaos. For H&M has staged his personal version of style: a world in which the English spirit is shaped according to irony, thanks to garments for him and her that are rigorous and sculptural, and at the same time surprising and unpredictable.
The dancefloor of the H&M Glenn Martens evening at Skinners’ Hall in London (Photo: Darren Gerrish/H&M).
Like the party at Skinners’ Hallthe capsule also plays on the contrast between excess and measure, past and future. AND like the Union Jackthe English flag that unites different nations, the H&M Glenn Martens collection is a bridge between eras and generations.
Among the guests of the event, Gabbriette and Joe Locke wearing clothes from the H&M Glenn Martens collection. And a themed cake (Photo: Darren Gerrish/H&M).
Irony, glamor and nostalgia
The parterre of guests who flocked to the London event seems to have no age or glamor limits. A characteristic is also reflected in the collection’s campaign, imagined as a surreal family portrait. British icons Joanna Lumley and Richard E. Grant – also present at the party – play an eccentric matriarch and patriarch, surrounded by a “progeny” of models and artists, as well as a large number of birds.
An image from the launch campaign of the H&M Glenn Martens (H&M) capsule collection.
An amusing tribute to the Royal Family: the result, a shot of a “real” family, in every sense, like the one that populated the dancefloor.
But also an ode to creative freedom which, in the name of the flag that inspires it, unites different worlds under a single aesthetic. Cool Britannia is back.