Even those of us who satisfy our hunger for darkness and solitude by living under a rock can’t help but be exposed to something spectacular every now and again. But on the off chance that the news hasn’t reached your rock yet, allow me to inform you:

November 23. Lanvin for H&M.

If you’ve been following for a while, you know of my love/hate/guilt/admiration relationship with H&M. But this collection is looking monumental, and I’ve got plans to camp out outside of H&M so I can check it out as soon as it opens. Oops, someone’s going to be a little late for work next Tuesday.

I get the feeling that I probably won’t end up buying any of it, but I do plan to try stuff on for ideas, if I manage to get my hands on any.  The gorgeous yellow ruffle dress above (even I can get on board with the one shoulder thing for a dress like that) is one that I can easily recreate at home, and in a color better suited to my skin tone (jewel-toned teal, perhaps?) This is another example of one shoulder done beautifully in this collection:

And I’m dying to slip this over-the-top jacket over the dress for an over-the-top ensemble:

Here’s another magnificent confection that looks easily recreated, if you could only find the marvelous retro rose print fabric.

The dresses and coats run between about $150-$350, perhaps somewhat out of the price range of the average H&M teenybopper client, which perhaps means that mature career ladies like me will have fewer lithe, spry 17-year olds to punt out of the way to get to the racks. They can go for the collection’s lower priced t-shirts, skirts, and accessories.

The collection also has a less-exciting but still quite chic selection of menswear. Oh, and shoes at a relatively gentle $99 a pop.

Anyway, check out this heart-breakingly, tooth-achingly delicious collection of sweets, fashion-loving members of the proletariat. It’s Lanvin for the masses! And lest you think the once-rarefied has become all too accessible, don’t worry- the video is still delightfully artsy-fartsy :)

Oh yeah, by the way, the collection is only in limited stores, so check the website before you pitch your tent ;)