FashioNZ traveled to Sydney this month to see, first hand, how H&M’s autumn ‘25 renaissance is helping to re-shape the brand for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
Five years ago, H&M was flying. After opening their first multi-level shopping destination in Auckland’s Sylvia Park in 2016, the Swedish fast-fashion brand fought off competition like Topshop and Topman and rode the wave of Zara’s entry into Aotearoa, becoming a staple part of our local shopping diet. But four years ago, the brand fell victim to a sharp decline in sales (a 33% decline in net sales worldwide in Q1, 2021 compared to same period in 2020) and, forced to re-shape themselves to suit the world’s post-Covid shopping habits and priorities, H&M has been gradually pulling themselves back into premium brand contention ever since.
On March 20, 2025, we were lucky to book a seat on H&M’s media junket to Sydney to see the H&M renaissance first-hand. Inspired by the brand’s global ‘stake-in-the-ground’ marketing assault (when they signed Charli XCX as brand ambassador and held a surprise concert in New York’s Times Square) our 24-hour long Sydney experience culminated in a private concert by New Zealand music sensation Benee, amidst a 400-strong, invite only party saturated in H&M-red light.
But before we dissect the new H&M A/W 2025 collection, let’s first have a look at how we think people are shopping in 2025. It’s no secret that, in times of economic hardship, disposable income goes down, meaning purchases like fashion & beauty nice-to-haves fall by the wayside. This would partly explain the decline in sales in the luxury sector, and the extreme rise in sales at online juggernauts like and Shein. We asked our friend Angus Innes (AI for short) for a quick breakdown on how and why this happens:
“During an economic downturn, people tend to become more price-sensitive, cutting back on discretionary spending and seeking value for their money, which leads to increased shopping at discounters, switching to cheaper brands, and postponing purchases of non-essential items.
Here’s a more detailed look at how people’s shopping habits change during an economic downturn:
Price Sensitivity Increases: Consumers become more focused on price and value, seeking out deals and promotions.
Reduced Spending on Discretionary Items: People tend to cut back on non-essential purchases, such as entertainment, travel, and dining out.
Increased Shopping at Discount Stores: Consumers may choose to shop at discount stores or opt for cheaper brands to save money.
Switching to Cheaper Brands: People may switch to generic or store-brand products to save money, even if it means sacrificing some quality.
Postponing Purchases: Non-essential purchases, such as appliances, electronics, and cars, may be postponed until the economy improves.
Increased Online Shopping: People may turn to online shopping to compare prices and find better deals.
Value-Based Pricing: Businesses can focus on highlighting the value and benefits of their products versus the cost.
The most important key word here is Value. H&M’s renaissance is down to this, so it’s no surprise that slowly but surely, sales have been creeping up and up over the last 4 years, culminating in a Q1 earnings report last year that saw the brand’s the strongest they’ve been since 2020.
The second most important key word in the above summary is Online. Despite the general trend towards IRL experiences being the shopping method du jour, (and H&M stores being like huge fashion churches, nestled amongst any first-world city’s chicest and busiest suburbs) H&M is making a play for multi-channel marketing that drives significant growth and loyalty to the their online platforms.
So after all of this business chat, what can you expect to see when you explore H&M’s A/W 2025 collection? Well, here are 3 of our favourites:
These slides were gracing the fashionable feet of countless VIP guests at Benee’s private concert, adding a playful touch to wide-leg suit pants or a short party dress.
This Burgundy skirt and jacket combo was the only set on the lips of our Junket Buddies Maya Silwood and Martha Brooke, not to mention most of Tik-Tok.
This autumnal suiting is a good example of H&M’s move to an elevated design handwriting, bringing their entire A/W 2025 collection closer to what we know as ‘H&M Studio’. This is a positive shift towards greater value for money, and fewer disposable throwaway garments.
H&M’s A/W 2025 collection is available now in-store across New Zealand.