Photographed by Karl King Aguna.
In her first collaboration with H&M, Polish designer Magda Butrym explores the symbolism of the rose, modern femininity, and evolving with women
The rose isn’t just a symbol, it’s very much who designer Magda Butrym is. It’s an homage to her romantic Slavic roots, modernity, and in her own words: “It perfectly mirrors the complexity of womanhood: beautiful yet strong [and] enduring the challenges of life.”
In her latest collaboration with H&M, the rose remains prominent, keeping her design philosophy of contrasts in mind: romantic yet bold, soft but structured. The collection, aptly named Femininity in Bloom, also coincides with her 10th year as a designer and a fashion brand, with her ethos taking on new life through sharp-shouldered coats, denim and crochet lace ensembles, roses sculpted onto garments, sequined dresses, and floral prints on silk.
“A mini dress can hold just as much power as a structured, padded jacket,” she says in an exclusive interview with Vogue Philippines. “I love experimenting with silhouettes, playing with the idea of layering oversized pieces over something short and daring. There’s something so effortlessly captivating about that contrast.”
Inside the Vogue Philippines studio, blooming 6-foot roses and fresh long-stemmed Ecuadorian roses, surrounded by backdrops of red, gray, and deep black reframes the way we often see beauty queens and longtime friends of the brand Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee.
Throughout the 47-piece collection, Butrym posits the rose as more than decoration. It’s a symbol of growth, of becoming.
“A rose can bloom from within, and in doing so, it embodies the strength and energy that comes from self-growth.”
Magda Butrym
This idea of blooming from the inside out resonates with Gray and Dee, who see their femininity not as a fixed trait, but something that unfolds and shifts over time.
“I’ve realized life is a series of ebbs and flows. Some days you bloom. Some days, you’re still germinating under the soil. And that’s okay,” reflects Gray on how blooming is tied to quiet reflection. Now in her 30s, the singer and children’s advocate sees her creative journey, whether through painting, fashion, or performance, as a constant process of opening up.
“I feel like femininity, for me, is about being magnetic. It’s not just a silhouette to me. There’s an allure to it and [it’s] allowing yourself to lean in.”
Catriona Gray
Dee also shares a similar sentiment, especially as she explores and blooming into new ground as a music artist, sharing her journey and vulnerabilities as a person and as a woman. “It’s really about who you are and what you’re going through in that time of your life, whatever it may be, because there’s always somebody that can relate to you. I embrace the challenge and I think that’s one of the things that I love about this new territory.”
Butrym, for her part, became introspective when H&M creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson reached out to her for the collaboration. It was a different process as opposed to her usual of managing the “interpretations of the flower in a different way.”
“We had to go back to the root of the brand, to think about the archives, which makes it very special,” Butrym shares. “I was thinking about women all the time: and what they really want and desire. Looking back, I was able to see the threads, and the codes, that have defined my brand.”
“You never know when a flower is going to bloom. It depends on where it’s planted. It depends on how much sunlight it’s getting. In my case, that’s [being] mentally and internally self-aware of everything that is going on.”
Michelle Dee
For her, each garment is made to offer space, for movement, emotion, and growth where the rose is not just an accessory but a language. It speaks of becoming, of evolution, of the courage to dress in your own blooming form. For Gray, it’s quiet magnetism. For Dee, it’s radical self-honesty, and for Butrym, it’s a dialogue of evolving with every woman, “I find endless inspiration in femininity and I feel like women are always growing and evolving and I hope my work evolves with them.”
To view the collection, visit H&M’s official website. Follow them on Instagram.
Photography by Karl King Aguna. Creative direction by Pam Quiñones. Art Direction by Christina Zabat and Lara Castañeda. Styling by David Milan. Lighting by Rojan Maguyon. Photo assistant Aniken Dela Cruz. Hair and Makeup for Catriona Gray by Zidjian Floro and Brent Sales. Hair and Makeup for Michelle Dee by Dave Quiambao and Jeck Aguilar. Set designer Justine Arcega-Bumanlag. Account manager Andrea Ramos. Project implemented by Erika Palacios and Esab Raymundo.
