Lineblogging: Mid-Sized Crowd Gathering Outside the H&M Flagship for Matthew Williamson Collab

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H&M's latest designer collaboration, a line of tropical-hued womenswear from British designer Matthew Williamson, goes on sale at 9am. Williamson isn't quite as big as H&M's last partner, Comme des Garçons, but given the ubiquity of the ad campaign, we're expecting a bit of a scene. Stay tuned for live updates from outside the H&M flagship at 640 Fifth Ave at 51st Street.

8:14am: I'm here. There are about 40 people here, but that may be stretching it.

8:20am: Rumor has it that the first girls in line got here at 11 last night.

8:25am: I'm dodging professional photographers, who are everywhere. I think they're hoping for the craze of CDG.

8:30am: Some people in line just heard this store is opening at 9, not 10 as they'd thought. One girl: "I'm so unprepared!"

8:37am: Curious pedestrians keep asking: "Why the line? Who's going to be here?" Who cares about celebrities if there are affordable designer fashions to be had?

8:38am: Random dude walking by just asked about the line, and instead of continuing on said he knew of Matthew Williamson. "I worked security at his opening down on, uh, 14th Street. Nice guy!"

8:41am: The only men around here are either reporters, photographers, or H&M people. Makes sense since this is only the women's collection day.

8:41am: Dude just announced the two piece per style limit, like with CDG.

8:49am: Random lady: "Do you know why there's such a line?" No, lady, we have NO IDEA why we're in line. Geez.

8:48am: Weird coincidence: Mom in line is waving at her kids, who are in the backseat of a car going through the intersection.

8:55am: Line is still totally manageable. Just barely around the corner.

8:56m: And we're going in...