Danish It girls Freja Wewer and Ilirida Krasniqi style day and night H&M holiday looks in NYC

New York is the city that never sleeps, which makes it a particularly festive place to celebrate the holiday season. Just ask Danish It girls Ilirida Krasniqi and Freja Wewer, who hit the Big Apple as guests of H&M for 48 hours of nonstop cheer – a first for both women. “It’s my first time visiting New York in December, and I’m beyond excited. It’s definitely all the movie references that excite me the most — it just feels iconic,” says Wewer. Krasniqi agrees, adding, “I’m hopefully sneaking in a rewatch of Home Alone in my hotel room to fully soak in that festive feeling.”

It was a trip jam-packed with quintessential New York moments: hot cocoa in Central Park, a stroll through the West Village followed by lunch at Le Charlot and elegant dinners at Sant Ambroes and Pearl Box. After post-dinner cocktails and karaoke at Winnie’s Bar, the girls retired to boutique hotel The Twenty Two, just steps from Union Square.

Naturally both women were dressed for the occasion. Plucking pieces from H&M’s Holiday and Studio collections, Krasniqi and Wewer each crafted two festive looks – one for daytime, one for evening – that captured both the singular spirit of New York at Christmas and their own personal vibes.

“My daytime look is the perfect balance of chic and sexy – something I always gravitate toward,” says Krasniqi, who opted for a brown satin dress with gently puffed sleeves topped with a covetable faux fur coat with a scarf neckline. To finish the look, which came from the second drop of H&M's holiday collection, she picked a pair of show-stopping pile-lined knee-high boots. “It feels polished and put-together, but still comfortable,” she says. The finishing touch: a soft blowout and effortless makeup, courtesy of H&M's beauty team.

Unable to pick just one look, Krasniqi also wore a cream rib knitted dress (also from the Holiday collection) whilst hanging out with Wewer in their hotel room. “The open sides make your legs look incredibly long,” she notes.

For evening, Krasniqi slipped into a slate grey jacquard-woven dress – a dose of Scandinavian minimalism on the streets of Manhattan. "The grey dress is simple but striking,” she says. "It’s short enough to make your legs look extra long, especially when styled with high nylon socks. It’s minimal, but it makes a statement.” To add a little extra spice, she styled the dress with playful mesh gloves.

Wewer, meanwhile, leaned into the boho revival that has dominated the zeitgeist this year. For day, she reached for an embellished nude dress from H&M’s Holiday collection that gave her “Kate Moss festival vibes”. To make the look seasonally appropriate, she paired the frock with those same boots favoured by Krasniqi, folded down to emphasise the lining (a holiday must-have is born) and a matching tote with faux-fur details. Finally, she popped on an oversized leather jacket – her favourite piece in her NYC wardrobe. In contrast to Krasniqi's sleek locks, Wewer went for unpolished I'm-with-the-band hair. “I think this kind of dress needs a slightly grungy styling with messy hair,” she notes.

The evening called for an elegant sequinned tube dress from H&M’s Studio collection. “I’m normally not the biggest ‘dress person’, but this one just spoke to me,” says Wewer. To create a bit of contrast (and add a dose of New York attitude) she paired the dress with an oversized men's shirt jacket.

It was the sort of trip one wish would never end. Lucky for Krasniqi and Wewer it didn't have to; the girls opted to stay in New York through the weekend to keep the festivities (and excellent looks) going.

Shop all the covetable pieces below.