At the official launch of the highly anticipated range in New York The Slap star Melissa George arrived wearing a $40 midriff baring crop top from the collection, while model Shanina Shaik ditched the after party and braved the crowd of VIPs who were the first to shop the sports inspired looks.

The 1000 guests, including singer Solange Knowles and actor Jessica Chastain, descended on the runway and pop up shop inside the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in Harlem, which resembled the Boxing Day sales just with more attitude and hair spray.

As Shaik perused the $100 neoprene shower slide shoes and copped more hip and shoulders than your average AFL player, renowned fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth tried on a $200 pea coat and considered $60 quick dry t-shirts. Meanwhile numerous models spent more than $700 on a selection of reflective tights and oversized jumpers which they previously modelled on the catwalk alongside Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls and former Make Me a Supermodel judge Tyson Beckford.

"The collection is hot. It's fly, it's edgy, it's everything. I love it," singer Mary J. Blige said after giving the range a standing ovation.

The limited edition collection, designed by Wang, creative director of French fashion house Balenciaga and his New York-based eponymous label, is a sporty luxe range for those who don't "do" sweat. The women's and men's collection will be stocked in 54 countries, including Australia's two stores at Melbourne's GPO and Sydney's Macquarie Centre from November 6.

While neon and inspirational slogans are emblazoned across other run-of-the mill workout wear, Wang's H&M offering is more Julie Bishop than Lorna Jane – sleek, sophisticated and made for high-octane performance.

From the designer's first meeting with the fashion chain he envisaged an athletic aesthetic.

"I said, I love this idea of sports at night. That was the first idea that came to my mind," he said.

"There's gym clothes, but I like the versatility of clothes if you're going out, going dancing, you sweat as well, you need to move, be active."

For the Australian market he told Fairfax Media that he predicts a selection of sports bras and crop tops, as debuted by George on the red carpet and front row, will be popular as we head into the summer months.

"It's for someone who has comfort and ease. There's a nonchalance to it."

To announce the project's global November 6 launch date, Wang posted a cryptic video with the numbers "11" and "06" to his 412,000 plus followers on Instagram. He then debuted the first look from the collection via the same medium, casting singer Rihanna as his street-style model.

Nonchalance indeed.

At 30, Wang is the youngest designer ever employed to undertake a H&M collaboration, an annual endeavour which the group – a group that took in more than $24 billion in sales revenue last financial year, a 9 per cent increase on financial year 2011-12 – takes very seriously.

He is also the first American to work with the global fashion brand for a collaboration and follows in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney. His collection marks H&M's 10^th anniversary of high-fashion meets high-street ranges.

But don't think that worries him. Wang is on the precipice of developing a cult-like, celebrity following.

His front rows and after-parties now command the same mainstream and social media attention as his clothes.

Images of Miley Cyrus attending his New York Fashion Week staff party wearing nipple pasties went viral earlier this year as did a video of singer Nicki Minaj teaching his models how to twerk backstage, while at the H&M event, the usually reserved actor, and Jennifer Aniston's fiancé, Justin Theroux, was holding court, tequila cocktail in hand, on the dance floor as Get Ya Freak On rapper Missy Elliott staged her comeback with a surprise performance after the runway show.

Jenna Clarke travelled to New York as a guest of H&M.