SINGAPORE - After close to 10 months since news first broke that Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) was coming to our shores, ladies & gents, it is finally here.

The flagship store at Orchard Building opens to the public on Sept 3, with a debut of its Autumn/Winter 2011 collection.

For years, Singaporeans have had to fly abroad to countries like Hong Kong or Japan to get their H&M shopping fix - it is no wonder there was so much hype about THIS store launch.

On the eve of the official opening, members of the media and exclusive guests got a preview of the collection and a chance to experience the three storeys and 30,000 sq ft of retail goodness.

As I was crossing the street at the junction of Orchard Road and Grange Road - where the store is located - braving crowds busier than usual, I overheard someone say: "Wow, this feels like Japan!"

Indeed, the new kid on the block, with its glitzy billboards, brings a youthful vibe and a much-needed breath of fresh air to a part of Orchard Road where the atmosphere for shopping was getting pretty stale.

But how successful will the Swedish brand be in Singapore?

Read the full review here.