Earlier in the year, Talent Management was surprised to hear that Maison Martin Margiela, the unconventional French fashion house with a cult following, has become the latest designer to collaborate with Swedish highstreet leaders H&M.

But, as the collection isn’t hitting stores until November 15, we’ve not spoken much about it since…until now.

Last night, models, singers, actors and other celebrities including Helena Christensen, Julianne Moore, Mena Suvari, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mena Suvari, Kanye West, Selma Blair, Alan Cumming and Chase Crawford were among the guests at a party in New York to celebrate the collaboration.

The unique event saw guests discover the collection, rather unconventionally, in dance performances by noted choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and through specially commissioned art installations.

Maison Martin Margiela said of the unusual event: “We are happy to present the Maison Martin Margiela with H&M collection in New York with this event. Maison Martin Margiela believes in showing its work outside of the traditional context. This mix of installation and performance captures the spirit of the house, and allowed the artists to interpret the collaboration collection in ways they saw fit.”

The event was held across the many floors of 5 Beekman Street, a derelict and raw nine-story building housed around a glass-roofed atrium, and was decorated in the label’s signature white-painted style.

Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M, added: “Tonight’s party has been such an exciting evening, full of surprises. In every room, on every floor, you never knew what you were going to find. The installations showed the Maison Martin Margiela collection with H&M in the most amazing and original way and we believe our customers will really appreciate this collection.”

Anne Teresa created a unique and beautiful performance in squares of sand, which ran throughout the evening on different floors. She and her dancers removed garments from the collection while performing, thus creating live and spontaneous art installations.

The collection with H&M, a series of re-editions of Maison Martin Margiela garments and accessories from various seasons, was further revealed in special art installations on various floors.

Artists including Daniel Arsham, Frederique Chauveaux and Noemie Goudal created sculptures, projections and photographs exclusively for the event

“It’s an amazing collaboration! Margiela is a beautiful brand – arty, iconoclastic and always edgy. And the quality is always amazing with H&M. Fashion is great because it’s an expression of who you are,” said actress Julianne Moore.

Fellow actress Sarah Jessica Parker added: “It’s incredible, so exciting to celebrate one of my favourite designers. They are mysterious and compelling and I’ve been a great fan of Margiela for many years. H&M, well, look at the lines of men and women lined up! It’s a great opportunity for people to have access to great designers. It makes luxury available to everyone. It’s very democratic and I’m all for it.”

Top model Helena Christensen also loves the pairing: “I’m a huge fan of Margiela and I love H&M – it’s a great collaboration. I never get surprised by H&M’s choices, every designer they pick I’m interested in. I’m always standing in the queue with my mother in the early mornings. I’ve been a fan of Margiela since the start”, says.

The Maison Martin Margiela with H&M collection will be launched on November 15th in around 230 H&M stores worldwide, but in the meantime you can read more about the collaboration on the Talent Management Blog here.