Until today, it is fair to say that H&M has played it safe with its high-fashion collaborations -- a holiday tradition where the behemoth Swedish retailer enlists a major name to design a limited-edition line. Karl Lagerfeld's 2004 collection was rendered entirely in black and white, while last year's Stella McCartney line was so sweet and feminine, it flew out of H&M's Manhattan store in 11 minutes. The legend of the initial Stella fracas continues to grow (hair pulling! dress tearing!). 

This morning, H&M debuts a new high-fashion collaboration in 11 US stores (including its shop on Newbury Street), which dispenses with the tradition of playing it safe. It also offers a major coup for the esoteric Dutch design duo of Viktor & Rolf. Endlessly clever, charming, and innovative, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, both 37, have long been the darlings of fashion insiders and a fair number of celebrities, from Tilda Swinton to Kanye West. The pair are now hoping that those who can't pony up thousands for couture will start expressing their love by spending on lower-priced ventures.

"We said yes, right away," recalls Snoeren of initial conversations with H&M. "We quite liked the two earlier collaborations and this gives us an opportunity to talk to a larger audience. As much as we love fashion, it is very limited. To make our clothes available to more people was very interesting."

Read the rest at: Boston.com