EXTRA! EXTRA! The edgiest Japanese avant-garde fashion house Comme des Garçons is set to collaborate with mega retailer to the masses H&M this fall.

The exclusive collection is created by Comme des Garcons founder and head designer Rei Kawakubo, whose fashion sense is as sharp as her haircut.

Announcement of the collaboration comes as a bit of a surprise, but one that thrills me to the very core.  Having in past years teamed up with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf, and Roberto Cavalli, I can’t wait to see how Kawakubo will appropriate her vision to suit a commercial market.

Revered for her artistic sensibilities and integrity, Kawakubo chose to study fine art and literature in university, and went on to establish her highly successful fashion house in 1973.  

“I have always been interested in the balance between creation and business. It is a dilemma, although creation has always been my first priority,” says Rei Kawakubo of the collection. “It is a fascinating challenge to work with H&M since it gives me the opportunity to take the dilemma to its extreme and try to solve it.”

The collection will include pieces for men, women, and children, along with accessories and a unisex fragrance.  It will make its debut in Tokyo in November, and will hit the rest of the world a week later. 

So get ready to line up at the crack of dawn, scarf down a deluge of hot chocolate, and elbow your way through a sea of hysterical girls and Ebay fiends. Sounds harsh but it will undoubtedly be worth the hassle.