I tried on H&M's new affordable collaboration with Kate-approved designer Elie Saab. HANNAH SKELLEY shares her Fashion Editor verdict

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Rhinestones! Sequins! Tulle! These are all the embellishments you’d expect to find in H&M’s partywear department. But this season’s spangly offering comes with luxury credentials. Today marks the release of the Swedish retailer's highly anticipated 55-piece occasion wear collaboration with the 62-year-old Lebanese fashion designer and couturier, Elie Saab.

What Saab started in 1982 with the opening of an atelier in Beirut, Lebanon, is now a world-renowned red-carpet-worthy label, where off-the-rack designs start in the thousands and some custom haute couture gowns range upwards of £100,000.

Halle Berry famously wore one of Saab’s sheer embellished gowns to accept the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002. Since then Saab has dressed a long list of A-listers, including Beyoncé, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few. He’s even dressed royalty; Queen Rania of Jordan is a loyal customer, but she wore one of her most memorable Saab couture creations for her coronation ceremony in 1999.

You’ve probably shopped H&M's previous collections with the likes of Stella McCartney, Simone Rocha and Mugler. Its knack for lining up mega brands to join forces with on affordable, sell-out collections has helped maintain shopper footfall, serving up a slice of luxury fashion for a fraction of the price.

And having tried on this collection for myself, it might be one of its best collabs yet.

On the Extra end of the spectrum, see the raven-black, faux fur bolero jacket with a single concealed hook-and-eye closure. Perhaps the most dramatic piece in the collection, with voluminous shoulders and extra furry wrists, it’s a fluffy showstopper. And unlike a lot of the statement fuzzy outerwear on the high street right now, it won’t swamp a small frame.

If you didn’t know, it’s also the season of the skirt. Prada sent 63 of them down its SS27 runway this Fashion month. Matthieu Blazy anchored his entire new Chanel collection on them, too. H&M’s scintillating rhinestone column skirt, with Saab’s signature touch, is a no-brainer. Wear it with knee-high leather boots, cocktail heels, point-toe mules or strappy stilettos, if that’s your thing. Tuck in a plain neutral top and let the skirt do all the talking.

Peplum, and its surprising return, is another hot topic in fashion circles. But whilst the neoprene iterations of the 2010s were quickly shelved, a peplum shelf is an incredibly flattering shape on all body types. This weighty forest green beaded bandeau top has wonderful tummy-shrouding pleats and a flattering corset effect on the bodice, thanks to the cinching zip fastening.

I was apprehensive about adding yet more shimmer, fearing I might resemble an amateur on Strictly Come Dancing, but these shiny trousers only elevate the look. More is more thanks to Saab’s clever sequin variations, you can safely layer the separates in this collection without looking overdone, as each piece refracts light differently.

Looking for an upgrade on the ‘jeans and a nice top’ outfit combination we all lean on? At age 30, I never thought I would be desperate to get my hands on a hotfix rhinestone, ombre, bronze and black bodysuit. But here we are. It’s fantastically bedazzled. And it made me feel fantastic. At 5’9 it’s often tricky to find styles with enough length in the body to accommodate my height. Yet this iteration is roomy enough for tall women, with handy adjustable poppers in the gusset.

But the stand out for me didn’t come with any embellishments at all. The plain black wool trousers fit like a glove, hugging hips and thighs in all the right places. And if, like me, you struggle with finding smart slacks that fit both your waist and buttocks, look no further. This pair comes with a handy tie waist belt so you can adjust the fit – or slip it off and add a jazzier waist cincher of your own. I’d wear these in the office, and at the office Christmas soiree.

If glitz and glimmer isn’t for you, this leather oversized bomber jacket and pencil skirt co-ord is just as powerful in the style stakes. When worn together, the ensemble blends from brown, to black and back to brown from shoulder to mid-shin. I love the practical pockets in the skirt and handily, the jacket is unisex. After all, sharing is caring.

You effectively get two shirts in one with this classic white tuxedo bibbed number, as the pussy bow is removable – genius! Lace is also back in a big way, and this overlay pencil skirt with dainty black beaded clusters around the hem treads the line of sultry yet sophisticated. It’s nice to see sky-high platforms are on the up again – how many pairs of kitten heels does one really need? Petite women look this way, these provide the illusion of longer legs and add extra inches of height.

If you fancy bagging a dazzling piece of haute high street, shop more hero pieces from the collection below...