Jeff Koonz, H&M partner for flagship store opening

Swedish clothing retailer H&M will be celebrating the July 17 opening of its museum-inspired Fifth Avenue flagship store with the help of artist Jeff Koons.



The partnership — H&M’s first artist collaboration — will take the form of a handbag that Koons designed in the shape of his famous stainless steel balloon dog sculpture. The handbag will be sold starting July 17 at H7M stores in New York, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

‘The partnership with H&M was really exciting for me and the chance to showcase one of my most popular works to a new generation of people was inspiring,” Koons said. “H&M delivers great fashion season after season and it's nice to see my work at their new store.”



The 57,000-sq.-ft. store will be the Swedish retailer’s largest in the U.S., and the first in New York to offer home goods as well as a store-within-a-store selling lingerie and accessories.



H&M is also the official sponsor the Koons retrospective that’s opening at the Whitney Museum of American art June 27.