Known for framing her subjects in a way that feels cinematic, Irish photographer Eimear Lynch’s work captures the intimacy of female friendship. For her, it’s about its fabled rituals (like crowding round a mirror before a big night out). Whether through her debut book Girls’ Night, fashion photography for Miu Miu and Simone Rocha, or capturing the backstage chaos at Miss Ireland Teen, Lynch has her own unique and recognisable take on youth culture.
Naturally, then, Lynch drew a large crowd of London’s fashion and culture obsessives to a one-off shoot on Saturday, April 19. As part of H&M’s SS25 collection launch, the Swedish brand has been tapping up female artists for concepts and artworks, with previous in-store shoots from Angelina Bergenwall in Stockholm and Rita Lino in Berlin that gave visitors the chance to experience a professional shoot IRL.
All day, the Ireland-born, London-based photographer set up shop in the Chelsea store, documenting all kinds of the capital’s faces in front of a poppy-red background. A long line of people queued up eagerly outside for the session, each leaving with their own keepsake shot, both in print and digital. Here’s a breakdown of how it went on the day…
…but everyone got their picture taken. Despite a long line snaking down the King’s Road that made it an hour-long wait at times, each guest left with an A5 printed portrait in its own red sleeve, as well as (of course!) a hi-res digi copy.
PEOPLE BROUGHT THEIR BEST LOOKS
Courtesy H&M
Structured blazers, layering, bubble hems – it was all there. Couples came through in matching outfits, and some accessorised with flowers, hair clips and sunglasses. One attendee even showed up in one of the limited edition T-shirts tossed into the crowd by Shygirl at her CLUBSHY H&M takeover last month: a truly coveted piece.
IT WAS AN ALL-AGES AFFAIR
Courtesy H&M
Throughout the day people arrived with their kids, babies and friends for a turn in front of the lens. One 84-year-old regular of the Chelsea store came with her (also well-dressed) dog. Iconic x
THERE WAS IMMACULATE ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Courtesy H&M
The sun was shining in London and the vibes were high, with an easy, intimate chemistry between Lynch and her subjects. Photographer India Bharadwaj captured the atmosphere of the day as it unfolded, snapping the laughs and reactions to portraits as they were unveiled. Intrigued by what was going on, passersby peered into the windows of the grade II-Listed building, joining the line to have their picture taken.
EACH PORTRAIT GOT ITS GALLERY MOMENT
Courtesy H&M
As the day went on, every shot was printed out and hung on a custom-built gallery wall within the store. Shoppers crowded to admire the catalogue of the day as it grew. Missed this one and want to get involved in H&M’s global event series? Keep an eye on upcoming activations here, with (for those Berlin-based) a pop-up bakery with Coucou Chloe.