H&M Is Launching An Entirely New Brand — But There's A Catch

A lot of exciting news is coming from the fast fashion realm: First, Uniqlo announced it's teaming up with celebrated British brand J.W. Anderson this fall; now, Business of Fashion reports that H&M Group is launching a brand-new fashion and homeware retailer called Arket.

The new store, which will add to the conglomerate's growing roster of brands (which already includes its namesake H&M, COS, & Other Stories, Cheap Monday, Monki and Weekday), will be a "modern-day market" that stocks both its own selection of womenswear, menswear, and children's wear as well as items from other, non-H&M-affiliated labels, according to BoF. The pricing will be between the H&M and & Other Stories range, with men's shirts starting at $42 and apparel topping at about $124.

Arket is Swedish for "sheet of paper" — which, according to Ulrika Bernhardtz, the brand's creative director, denotes "our origin in the Nordic tradition of functional, long-lasting design and symbolizes the blank sheet, the sense of optimism and possibility we felt creating this new brand." This retailer, he told BoF, focuses on "timeless" essentials, presumably minimalist basics that are meant to transcend seasonal collections.

The brand is expected to open its first retail store on Regent Street in London later this year — either end of summer or early fall, with e-commerce launching in 18 European countries simultaneously, according to BoF. Brick-and-mortar spaces in Brussels, Copenhagen, and Munich are expected to follow. Some of these locations will even feature cafés that serve healthy "new Nordic" cuisine, vying for Ikea's spot as our favorite mid-shopping trip snack break.

This big reveal from H&M Group is no doubt exciting, but there's of course a catch for U.S.-based customers: As of now, there are no set details as to when Arket will land stateside. It took seven years for COS to arrive physically (e-commerce launched in 2011); for & Other Stories, it only took one. H&M is in expansion mode, so Arket might make its big American debut sooner rather than later. We'll be here, waiting to get our lagom on.