He might not yet be a household name in the UK, but Alexander Wang is on his way to ­becoming one of the most important fashion designers in the world. He has already been described in an American magazine as "fashion's reigning prince of cool" and every time he wins an award, Ralph Lauren sends him a hand-written note, while designer Diane von Furstenberg refers to him simply as "a star". And thanks to his upcoming collaboration with H&M he looks set to become a lot better known in this country over the next few months.

Born to Taiwanese-American parents in San Francisco, Wang was fashion-obsessed from a young age and recalls sketching shoes and fashion illustrations when he was just six years old. He went on to attend summer schools in design in both Los Angeles and London while he was still in high school. He moved to New York when he was 19 to study at the world-famous Parsons fashion school before

­deciding two years into his course that he wanted to launch his own label.

Success was almost immediate: he showed his first collection in 2007; in 2008 he won the Vogue Fashion Fund to help build his business; in 2009 the Council of Fashion Designers of America gave him the Swarovski Award for ­womenswear; and in 2011 American

GQ named him Best New Menswear Designer. And, at the tender age of just 28, an already glittering career was crowned in 2012 when Wang was named as the new creative director of the iconic French label Balenciaga, one of the most ­prestigious houses in the fashion industry - Christian Dior described its founder Cristóbal Balenciaga as "the master of us all".

The projects that H&M have done up to this point have been amazing. They have changed the perception of what a collaboration can be. (Alexander Wang)

Today he is truly international, commuting between Paris and his base in New York, and getting rave reviews for his work on both sides of the Atlantic. And now he is joining a roster of the biggest names in the business, including Donatella Versace, Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld and Lanvin, with the upcoming H&M collaboration - and, surprisingly, when you ­consider how many designers H&M has worked with over the years, Wang is the first American to have been approached. "When the H&M ­opportunity came up it was so exciting," says Wang, "because they are a leader in their field. The projects and the collaborations that they've done up to this point and the brands and ­designers they have worked with have been so amazing. They have changed the perception of what a collaboration can be. They've done incredible things with Versace and, of course, with the Margiela archives, and each one has been so different. So when we were approached we knew we had to have our own take on it. For a start we are such a young brand that we don't have a huge archive yet. So it made sense to start from scratch and create a collectionthat would be new and exciting for both our audience and the H&M audience."

Wang is no stranger to collaborations, ­having worked with other retailers in the past, but he is particularly satisfied by this one. "For me the most interesting thing I took away from the

­experience," he says, "was despite how massive a company H&M is relative to mine and how much of an efficient machine it is in terms of how it works with these designer collaborations, it is still able to capture the essence and the identity, the soul, what the brands are ­trying to bring to these collaborations. So the idea ­behind this one has been to try to take the ­essence of what Alexander Wang represents and fuse this into a versatile wardrobe that revolves around performance wear and sportswear."

It doesn't matter who I design for. To see someone on the street wearing something that has come from my head is incredibly exciting. (Alexander Wang)

Striking, but with an air of elfin vulnerability about him, Wang isn't the first designer you would necessarily associate with sports when you meet him. But he has always admitted to being obsessed with sportswear. He suspects that this is largely because he approaches it as an outsider having never been involved in sports as a child. "I was born and raised in California and the schools that I went to always had mandatory sports programmes, PE etc, and I was never able to keep up," he laughs. All the other kids in my class were running, swimming, ­taking part in whatever sport you can image, and I ­always stayed on the fringe. But the idea of it and how much it's such a big part of our ­culture is something that has always fascinated me. I think that sports fans are probably the most devoted, enthusiastic, crazy people out there and I think it is just so fascinating to see ­something have so much influence. I think that's ­really where my curiosity comes from."

That's not to say that Wang will simply be producing a range of clothes you will be wearing to pump iron. "My idea of activewear isn't just about going to the gym," he explains. "It is just as much for running around, going out in and dancing in." And that is something Wang knows lots about. His after-show parties are famous as being the best invitations in town ­- the H&M collaboration was announced at a party he threw in April at the Coachella music festival just before a set by Iggy Azalea kicked off. He exudes energy and admits his friends describe him as "battery-powered".

Sport aside, working as we do at GQ just around the corner from London's Regent Street and one of H&M's international flagships, we have ­experienced first-hand the queues that stretch around the block when the latest collaboration comes on sale, and it is pretty obvious that fashion can drive people crazy. Especially when they have the chance to get hold of designer pieces, too, and know they will sell out in less than 24 hours. We are braced for the crowds when Wang's collection hits the stores on 6 November. Indeed, many of the designers who have worked with H&M in the past have talked about the feeling of democracy the experience has given them, and their excitement at the knowledge that their designs are reaching many thousands of people around the world who otherwise would not be able to experience their work. "It's exciting to be able to reach an audience that maybe hasn't experienced my brand before," says Wang, "but for me it doesn't

­matter if I ­design something for Balenciaga, Alexander Wang or H&M. I just think that to be able to see someone on the street wearing something that has come from my head or I have worked on with my team is incredibly ­exciting. And, not to sound a bit creepy, you have a weird kind of ­connection with that otherwise ­complete ­stranger."

Available in selected H&M shops across the country and online 6 November. hm.com

*Top image: Top, £39.99. Vest, £24.99.

Shorts, £69.99. All by Alexander Wang x H&M. hm.com. Socks by ITEM m6. item-m6.com*

Middle image: Jacket, £249.99. Top, £34.99. Shorts, £69.99.Leggings, £29.99. Rucksack, £129.99. All by Alexander Wang x H&M. Trainers by H&M, £34.99. hm.com

***Bottom image: ** Coat, £149.99.

Sweatshirt, £34.99. Trousers, £39.99. All by Alexander Wang x H&M. Trainers by H&M, £34.99. hm.com*

Photography assistant Jared Beck Styling assistant Kirstie Finlayson Hair Lee Machin at Caren using Kiehl's Model Tyler at PRM. Thanks to Lock Studios. lockstudios.co.uk

Originally published in the Trends Autumn/Winter 2014 supplement with the October issue of GQ.