Regardless of where you shop, your taste and most of all what you can afford - you can't deny that H&M has style. They are widely regarded as one of the most influential and current retailers of youthful fashion around the world. Although they have been around for years, they seem to be just starting to show us what they're really made of.

Whether you follow fashion trends or not, and regardless if you even recognize certain fashion designer names and brands, you will at one point or another be exposed to the concept of collaboration. Many retailers for years have been collaborating with high fashion designers and companies. For the most part, the outcome is successful. I have to say that by far, H&M is the one company that never fails to please me with their collaboration choices, and they always leave me wanting more. In the past, H&M has worked with such legendary names as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garçons, and Sonia Rykiel. Matthew Williamson was the last big name to work with H&M that I really enjoyed, and I had been wondering for months who was going to be next. Of course, in London we don't always get the more expensive merchandise at our H&M location. Usually you must travel to the big cities, like Toronto, to get the full effect of high fashion and low prices.

They kept us guessing for a while as to who was going to be next in line, and although most were quite sure it was Lanvin, no one wanted to verify. There was some confusion due to the widespread knowledge that Alber Elbaz, artistic director at Lanvin since 2001, has previously stated he would never do a mass-market collection. But once we were sure of Lanvin for H&M, information started pouring out about where this sudden change of heart came from.

When you're in the world of fashion, I don't believe anything said is ever concrete. Things always change in the cyclical world of style, and things often happen that you would never dream could — which is the magic of it all. Lanvin is one of the most influential brands of the twentyfirst century, so if you don't know it yet, I suggest you do some research. Elbaz had some very insightful words as to why he finally agreed to work with H&M, his main point being to look at this newfound partnership as a step up for H&M, not a step down for Lanvin. Elbaz has stated that Lanvin shares the "same philosophy [as H&M] of bringing joy and beauty to men and women around the world." Margareta Van Den Bosch, creative director at H&M, said, "Lanvin will bring to H&M luxurious French tradition that is also modern and playful."

Speaking of modern and playful, what are some of the key fashion trends you think of in relation to H&M? How about ribbons, pearls, raw edges, metallic embellishments, and bows for starters. These timeless accents that are synonymous to H&M, and are the same concepts that some have said are credited to Alber Elbaz and Lanvin — he has really focused the attention of his designs on these specific styles over the past nine years, leading me to believe that this collaboration really is a match made in heaven.

The final products will go on sale November 23 (which is just two days before my birthday, so I expect no one to have trouble knowing what to get me) in around 200 stores worldwide. The collection will be released November 2, three weeks before the clothes hit the stores; leaving us just enough time to get properly excited as well as save some money for whatever we love most.