H&M’s Ann-Sofie Johnansson: ‘My wardrobe is big, full and messy’

In charge of womenswear at H&M, Ann-Sofie Johansson is probably the most influential person in high-street fashion. 

She looks the part, too. For our interview, she’s wearing one of her signature oversized black blazers over a T-shirt, boyfriend-fit jeans and a pair of deck shoes. ‘Tomboyish has always been my style,’ she says. This is a typical outfit for her, although she might trade the jeans for a pair of leather trousers in the autumn. The black blazer is her go-to for event dressing, too, from charity galas to red-carpet moments. ‘I think I have a style that is “me”, that’s grounded. But I love to take influences from whatever is happening [in the studio].’

For anyone who can’t resist a trend, Johansson is your champion: ‘I wouldn’t say “fashion victim”, because I don’t like that term. I really savour and love fashion.’ It’s possible, she explains, to do so without losing sight of your own style identity.

Johansson, 61, has worked for H&M since 1987, starting out on the shop floor and becoming the head of design in 2008. Today the Stockholm resident oversees the brand’s Studio collections, its fêted designer collaborations, and one-off pieces for celebrities, including model Adwoa Aboah’s puffball pregnancy reveal at this year’s Met Gala.

And yet Johansson is relatable. Take her wardrobe: ‘It’s big, it’s full, it’s messy,’ she admits. ‘I can never find what I want. Sometimes I don’t even know what I have in there.’

Like all of us, she attempts clear-outs, listing old clothes on Swedish second-hand platform Sellpy (Vinted is the nearest equivalent in the UK). ‘At the same time, I love to save certain things because you never know when you’re going to use them again.’ 

So what would she never sell? ‘Vintage kimonos bought in Japan. And I love smoking blazers, I have a few different ones from [H&M] collaborations or the Studio collection.’ Johansson’s most treasured piece was her first investment purchase: a black cotton suit by Helmut Lang, one of her design heroes. ‘I bought the blazer first, and the next month I bought the pants. Owning something from a high-end brand felt really special.’

Off-duty, she wears grey sweats, mostly from Arket and H&M. ‘My husband only sees me in grey because I leave before he’s up and then I come home earlier than he does.’

Travel for inspiration is part of the job too, but she’s not a carry-on capsule woman. ‘I’m so bad at packing!’ she laughs. ‘It’s so hard to know what you’ll want to wear every day. Always, initially, I’m like, I’m going to pack really smart… but I can’t.’ She needs the suitcase space anyway. She buys kaftans in India and men’s pyjamas from Muji in Japan. And she can’t resist bold jewellery, particularly rings. 

Otherwise, she shops at second-hand stores, and from brands within the H&M group, or Swedish labels such as Acne Studios and Toteme. Not that she needs all that much. ‘I’m just looking for treasures really,’ she says. In shops, she says, she sees the same things everywhere. It can make the experience a little uninspiring, so she trusts her instincts. ‘If I find something that gets me going, it’s a bit of a frenzy. When I fall in love, I go for it.’

Get Ann-Sofie Johnansson’s look...

Studio Collection single-button blazer, £190, H&M; Tailored viscose trousers, currently £65 (down from £120), H&M; Leather ballerina flats, £149, Arket

Relaxed-fit sweatshirt in slate grey, £130, Navygrey; Fringes scarf, £200, Teurn; Ribbon rhodium and gold-plated ring, £315, Completedworks