COS

H&M's beloved European-only brand Cos and its new label & Other Stories may soon make their way to the United States, according to the retailer's US president, Daniel Kulle.

"Everything is in the works and the plans," Kulle told WWD. "& Other Stories has the potential with other H&M brands to come to America. . . We can also take Cos, which has 70 or 80 stores. Cos for sure will be in America. We're looking for an opportunity to open Cos."

The Swedish chain announced on Friday that it has major plans to expand H&M's presence in America. It has some 2,800 stores across the world, but only 269 of those are here in the United States. Forty of the stateside stores were opened last year, and there are currently plans for another 10, including locations in Boston, San Francisco, and Waikiki. It will also bring its home collection to a few stores, including the new Boston location, New York, and New Orleans, this year. Those goods will be available to buy online this Summer, when H&M plans to launch ecommerce in the United States.

Photo: Iselin Steiro photographed by Willy Vanderperre for Cos's Spring 2013 campaign.

Days after rumors circulated that it would open a new luxury fashion label, Swedish retail giant H&M has confirmed that it's planning to open a new brand in 2013.

While the company wouldn't characterize exactly what price range the chain will occupy, CEO Karl-Johan Persson said in a press release that the new chain is part of a plan to secure H&M's future as a major player in retail.

"We have many different projects in progress and already next year we will be launching a completely new store chain," Persson said. "Like Cos, which today is very successful with good profitability, the new chain of stores will be independent and complement the other offerings from the group. We have great faith in this new brand and we see considerable potential for further initiatives."

Cos is the highest priced and most fashion-oriented of the many brands H&M owns and operates, and if that's the brand that compares best with the new business, it's possible that next year will see the launch of the rumored luxury line.

Rumblings of an H&M-backed luxury line started over the weekend after the Swedish financial newspaper Dagens Industri reported that the company would venture into high-fashion territory. Representatives for H&M did not respond to requests for more information about the new line by the time of this post.

Update: An H&M spokeswoman told Fashionologie that the new brand will cost more than H&M, but is not being classified as a luxury label. "A new store chain will be launched in 2013 under a separate brand with a higher price point," she said. "It will not be a luxury brand, but it will be a retail chain that will follow the same ambition as H&M, to offer our customers the best price for a comparable item."

It's been just less than a year since COS, a subsidiary of H&M, opened it's first location in London. Now, like any proper retail chain, COS has opened stores in nine other European cities. Borne as a higher end H&M, COS keeps a more edited selection though store inventory is refreshed daily. It's the perfect blend between low-end instant gratification and higher-end exclusivity. As the brand grows COS are holding their own runway shows, producing their own magazine, and using more artistic imagery for ad campaigns. The Spring 2008 collection, if you ask us, is pretty darn sharp (although it doesn't exactly belong on the runway) and, particularly if you're dealing in pounds sterling, at an attractive price point. Our favorite pieces are a navy silk cotton cocktail dress with teared skirt for £79, a 3/4 length sleeve leather jacket with a slim lapel for £190, and ladies leather lace up shoes for £55. If you're going for garments to fill the gaps in your wardrobe, and feel stuck between say, H&M and A.P.C., COS is the perfect balance. Our only hope, surely to be recognized sooner or later, is that we see some brick and mortar in NYC. Our prediction is that after Topshop sets up camp and all the young people go through a serious aesthetic break down (not unlike when Uniqlo first opened its doors), COS will pop up and put us through the whole greedy experience again.

Video Courtesy of LizzyLily via YouTube.


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