Beyoncé is the new face of H&M

We speculated back in January as to whether Beyoncé was about to be unveiled as the new face of H&M, and now we can confirm that she is indeed the star of the Swedish chain's global summer campaign.

Rumours began when the singer was spotted posing for a tropical-themed photo shoot in the Bahamas early in the New Year as one of her dancers, Kimberly Gipson, tweeted (then deleted) the following comment about the shoot: "First day of trial in the Bahamas! H&M all set … go."

READ: Is Beyoncé the new face of H&M?

Beyoncé for H&M. Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

For the campaign, the mother-of-one was shot by photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in Nassau, the Bahamas's capital city. The television ad, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, was shot at the same time, and features a new song by the singer, Standing on the Sun , as its soundtrack.
"I've always liked H&M's focus on fun and affordable fashion. I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements - fire, water, earth and wind. It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island," says Beyoncé. "It felt more like making a video than a commercial."
The 31-year-old also had a hand in the design process of the summery pieces she models, revealed Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design at H&M: "There's the perfect bodycon dress, as well as a flowing sun dress that makes a real statement. And of course there are the bikinis, especially the fringed bikini. What makes these pieces even more special is that Beyoncé herself had input into the design, and they are full of her own personal style."
The print and outdoor ads will read "Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter in H&M", in reference to the star's next world tour, The Mrs. Carter Show , which kicks off on April 15.
The news comes as the company announced a 11.4 per cent slip in profits in the first quarter of 2013. "The first quarter has been characterized by the continued challenging situation for the fashion retail industry in many of our markets mainly due to a continued tough macro-economic climate, but also due to unfavorable weather during parts of the quarter," the group's ceo Karl-Johan Persson told WWD . However, the brand has set its sights on opening 350 new stores this year, as opposed to the previously planned 325.

BY BIBBY SOWRAY | 21 MARCH 2013