H&M marks 10 years in India with launch of beauty line, including lipsticks and vegan perfumes

When H&M first opened its doorways in India in 2015, it wasn’t simply one other worldwide model getting into the market — it was a cultural second. The queues that wound across the Select Citywalk mall in Delhi signalled a brand new technology able to embrace international developments. Ten years later, with greater than 65 shops throughout 29 cities and a powerful on-line presence, H&M has turn into half of on a regular basis vogue in India.

H&M’s main attraction has been its capacity to bridge the hole between aspirational vogue and affordability. For city youth in India, it provided an opportunity to purchase into developments with out the designer price ticket. Their garments, for each males and girls, have been seen as a step up from native, unbranded choices, offering extra up to date designs.

As Helena Kuylenstierna, director, H&M India places it: “Our purpose has always been to democratise style, to liberate fashion for the many, not just the few. In India, this means breaking down the old walls between high fashion and everyday wear, making global trends accessible right here, right now, for everyone.”

Now, because it marks a decade in the nation, the model is extending its providing past garments and equipment to launch H&M Beauty, which works stay on October 2 throughout shops in India and hm.com.

For years, the retail large has provided beauty throughout international markets, even opening devoted shops in Oslo and Stockholm, however that is the primary time the idea arrives on Indian shores.

The line-up is vast: over 200 merchandise spanning make-up, perfume and beauty instruments. Think Satin Icon Lipstick with its creamy end, Mad for Matte Liquid Lipstick, the lash-defining Never Ending Mascara, and the useful Do-it-All Stick Blush that works throughout cheeks, lips and lids. For those that lean in the direction of perfume, the Eau de Parfum assortment brings vegan formulations and longer-lasting put on. Interestingly, some merchandise have been created regionally to raised go well with Indian climates and pores and skin tones — a transfer that feels each considerate and strategic.

From the brand new H&M Beauty line

“This launch is a milestone in our journey, made even more special as we celebrate 10 years of H&M India. It reflects our commitment to making fashion and beauty more accessible and reaching more fashion aspirers across the country,” says Helena

Fashion collaborations

A serious half of H&M’s India playbook has been its headline-grabbing collaborations with homegrown designers, and these have been as polarising as they’ve been worthwhile. The most talked-about was in 2021, when Sabyasachi Mukherjee unveiled his ‘Wanderlust’ assortment with the model. It bought out globally inside minutes, underscoring the urge for food for his aesthetic at an accessible value level. But it additionally drew sharp criticism. Many felt the collaboration betrayed Sabyasachi’s long-standing dedication to gradual, handcrafted luxurious, decreasing it to a mass-produced template and diluting the exclusivity that his model had constructed.

The 2024 tie-up with Anamika Khanna drew much less warmth, however it didn’t totally escape scrutiny. Anamika’s model too is rooted in couture-level detailing and artisanal craft, which inevitably raises the identical questions: does translating that into quick vogue undermine the very worth these designers stand for? Still, the collaboration was seen as extra in sync with H&M’s aesthetic, maybe as a result of it leaned right into a fusion of international and Indian design moderately than trying to copy couture at scale.

Helena maintains that these ventures are central to the model’s cultural positioning: “Collaborations are about taking an unexpected step together. Our partnership with Sabyasachi was a moment of true magic, it proved the incredible demand for a blend of Indian luxury and accessibility. It was a cultural flashpoint. The collection with Anamika Khanna was a beautiful evolution of our approach. It highlighted that our best collaborations happen when we truly harmonise global vision with local craft, delivering collections that feel genuinely rooted and relevant to the modern Indian consumer.”

Localisation and festive put on

From the brand new festive assortment
| Photo Credit:
Special association

From the brand new festive assortment
| Photo Credit:
Special association

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H&M Home
| Photo Credit:
Special association

H&M has additionally made strides in localising its product vary past simply designer collaborations. The launch of its festive collections is a major instance. The first festive assortment was launched in 2019, marking an important step in the direction of country-specific designs. Characterised by vibrant colors like deep reds, golds, and emerald greens, and materials like satin and sequins, these collections have turn into a go-to for inexpensive, fashionable festive put on. The ‘Brighter Than Ever’ marketing campaign, typically used for these collections, focuses on a way of hope, celebration, and pleasure, positioning H&M as a vacation spot for up to date celebratory put on. The inclusion of H&M Home merchandise in these festive choices has additionally allowed prospects to increase the model’s fashionable aesthetic to their dwelling areas.

The arc of H&M’s journey has been outlined by adaptation — from providing trend-led vogue at accessible costs, to collaborating with Indian designers, to launching festive collections that talk on to native sensibilities. With the arrival of H&M Beauty, the model is signalling that its ambitions transcend clothes, into way of life and cross-category retail. Yet the query stays: in a market that’s each price-sensitive and more and more aware of sustainability, can H&M stability its fast-fashion DNA with the deeper cultural and environmental duties that come with being a mainstream international model in India?

Published – September 25, 2025 01:16 pm IST