Last night, Manila’s select few—fashion industry insiders, personalities, and celebrities—got first access on the much-awaited Balmain x H&M collection before the collection’s official Nov. 5 debut.
It was the most fashionable drill, actually. We were gathered into groups of about 30 people each. Each group only had 15 minutes to shop and try the clothes on. You can only imagine the chaos that went on during that brief timeframe: Heart Evangelista rummaging though racks of clothing beside me (I may have hit her with my elbow, even), designer Mark Bumgarner throwing his “reject” pile at me, and Lauren Young wandering around the dressing room deciding which pieces to get.
These fully embellished dresses don’t come cheap, though, with price tags hiking up to about P26,000. So even before all the craziness ensued, we scoured the party grounds (some people were wearing some pieces already!) and asked the silliest questions to the likes of Kiana Valenciano, Maxene Magalona, and Cheska Kramer, like “how many pieces of Chickenjoy can this dress buy?” and “with this price, do you think Jesus made this dress?”
And, of course, we also asked the most important question of all: “What did you buy?”
Click through the slideshow above to read their surprising answers!
The Balmain x H&M collection will be available on Nov. 5 at SM Megamall, EDSA corner J. Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City. View the full collection with prices here. For more information, visit their website.
Photos and additional reporting by Acushla Obusan