Inside H&M x ESSENCE’s Stylish Celebrations In New Orleans

In case you missed it, H&M was one of the esteemed partners of the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture. 

They teamed up with us to be part of their festival style destination hub, as the fashion brand partnered with ESSENCE to curate a lineup of must-have H&M festival looks inspired by the joy, beauty, and bonds that define the road to the hottest and most impactful festival of the year, ESSENCE Fest of Culture. Previously, our editor, Dominique Fluker, selected ten fashionable outfits from H&M’s summer assortment to inspire our festival goers as a packing guide for the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. 

To kick off the celebrations in New Orleans, the brand teamed up with Bevy Smith to host her popular brunch series, “Brunch With Bevy,” on Friday, July 4th at Marche, in the French Quarter. The brunch had a holiday cookout theme and featured a conversation with entertainment industry veterans and sitcom legends, Erika Alexander and Kim Coles, who discussed their ReLiving Single podcast with Smith. A traditional New Orleans second line capped the brunch festivities. In addition to the star-studded guests that attended, like Mara Brock Akil, Tisha Campbell Martin, and more, Jasmine Crockett made a special appearance. She shared her sentiments on the state of the world and why community is essential. Fostering community is a cornerstone of H&M’s diversity and inclusion mission. 

“H&M is proud to make our debut as an official sponsor of the Essence Festival of Culture — a culturally iconic celebration that holds deep significance for Black culture and aligns closely with our values of inclusion, self-expression, and creativity,” said Donna Dozier Gordon, Head of Inclusion and Diversity, H&M Americas. “Through events like Brunch with Bevy and our in-store celebration with Essence, we’re honored to spotlight the power of Black storytelling and foster connection through the shared language of fashion and culture.

To further celebrate the intentional partnership, H&M and ESSENCE came together to throw a stylish celebration at H&M’s French Quarter store. On Saturday, July 5, H&M and Essence welcomed influencers, press, and friends of the brands to an in-store event at H&M’s French Quarter location. The celebration highlighted H&M’s role as an official Essence Festival of Culture sponsor and a go-to destination for festival style. 

Our special guests enjoyed curated cocktails, a live DJ, exclusive branded giveaways, an interactive photobooth, and a private preview of curated clothes selected by Fluker and ESSENCE Magazine dedicated to ESSENCE Festival of Culture, with the following special guests: Bevy Smith, Andrea Lewis, Nandi Howard, and Kelly Augustine. Additionally, the curated clothing items had two window displays at the storefront to celebrate the partnership between ESSENCE and H&M.

The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Style is not on you, it’s in you,” moderated by Bevy Smith and featuring actress Andrea Lewis and Essence Ventures’ VP Content and ESSENCE Communications’ Content Director, Nandi Howard, which explored how personal style is more than trends or price tags.

Following the private event, the celebration continued throughout the day for all customers, featuring a live DJ, giveaways, and special photo opportunities. The attendees left feeling inspired to intentionally explore their style and expand their wardrobes throughout the year.