H&M Conscious Exclusive AW19 celebrates 10 seasons of sustainable fashion
H&M’s Conscious Exclusive range is back with an anniversary collection, bringing together glamorous fashion and sustainable innovation.
The mood in the H&M Conscious Exclusive AW19 collection is clear: get set to dress up! Suffused with the heady glamour of mysterious balls and dazzling parties from a bygone era, the collection fuses sumptuous after-dark sartorial hits with versatile wardrobe binders — and all through the lens of more sustainable fashion.
“The Conscious Exclusive collections at H&M have each been ground-breaking in their own way, so it’s very exciting to present our tenth collection, which proves that innovation never ceases: this season it incorporates recycled brass, recycled zinc and TENCEL TM X REFIBRA TM lyocell, an exciting lyocell fibre partly made from waste cotton, for the very first time. We are thrilled, too, that many of the innovations we have debuted with our more sustainable line have since been incorporated into our other fashion lines across the business. It’s vital that H&M keeps pushing the boundaries of future-facing fashion, proving to the world that glamour and sustainability go hand in hand,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.
Romantic dresses play a starring role in this second edition of the Conscious Exclusive collection in 2019: the China blue rose-printed jacquard prom dress and the floor-sweeping dusty pink tulle gown are all-eyes-on-me statement pieces next to sequined harlequin-patterned, ribbon-tied minis – all made from recycled polyester blends. Meanwhile a sumptuous velvet recycled polyester suit with an embellished belt is as versatile as pretty lightweight knits in blends made out of TENCEL TM lyocell fibres and wool; and a beaded cape made partly with recycled glass beads, a ruffled velvet top made from recycled polyester and a selection of exquisite hair pins made with recycled zinc and brass mix promise a super-spangled, scene-stealing effect.
“The starting points for the AW19 Conscious Exclusive collection were mysterious masquerade balls that took place in the 1960s. We were thinking about dazzling, one-off events where the anticipation in the build-up only increases the pleasure. We wanted to create special pieces that will stay in your wardrobe for years to come thanks to their endless versatility. Our customers will find that each piece can be styled according to their personality and mood; we hope these clothes are cherished, and invested with many happy memories of glorious evenings spent having fun,” says Ella Soccorsi, designer at H&M.
About H&M Conscious Exclusive
Conscious Exclusive is a recurring collection of exquisite, premium pieces that celebrate the new season and showcase the increasing possibilities of more sustainable fashion with a focus on development and innovation. This season, along with recycled polyester, organic cotton and recycled glass, H&M introduces recycled brass and zinc, and TENCEL TM X REFIBRA TM lyocell fibres, for the first time.
Conscious Exclusive A/W20
This has been a year unlike any other, so instead of looking to the past for inspiration we were inspired by the creativity that emerges from appreciating the value of things around us. We started by looking at that which often gets overlooked. We asked ourselves: Can we wear trash? Can waste be beautiful? And, quickly fell in love with the poetry of possibility. That’s why every piece in the Conscious Exclusive A/W20 collection is made from waste.
“For A/W20, we really wanted to be trailblazers – pushing the limits of creativity and sustainable fashion – by focusing on waste. As a result, the pieces in this collection are crafted from truly amazing materials produced from waste. Working with this kind of transformation and being able to speak to our customers through beauty, we hope that waste can be part of the future of sustainable fashion,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.
Conscious Exclusive is an incubator for new materials and innovations that are eventually used in H&M’s main collections. Innovations in recycling and reuse mean that we can now turn waste into something beautiful. A unique textile-to-textile recycling process enables us to close the loop by turning textiles that would have been thrown away into high quality polyester. This year two new fabrics make their H&M debut: Hemp Biofibre™, made from oilseed hemp crop waste, and Naia™ Renew, a cellulosic fibre sourced from circular content. The A/W20 collection also includes fabrics made from post-consumer carpet fibre, post-industrial plastic packaging and PET bottles. Are you in love with the mini dress that looks like a cloud of flowers? It’s made from closed-loop polyester!
Dramatic volume, softly structured shapes and glamorous ruffles combine with an edgy undertone to create a darkly poetic look and feel that is perfect for the holiday season. Key womenswear pieces, made from recycled polyester, include a yellow off-the-shoulder floral print dress with a voluminous ruffle along the chest, a black taffeta-like mini-dress with statement puff sleeves and a forest green body-con cocktail dress with a ruched bodice and asymmetrical puff shoulder.
The collection also has an emphasis on versatile separates that can be dressed up or down. Think: a demure black cropped blazer and wide leg trousers made from Naia™ Renew that’s been blended with silk. Bold choker necklaces and earrings in a variety of recycled metals provide a rebellious contrast to the poetic clothing.
This season, menswear makes a return to Conscious Exclusive. One of the key menswear pieces is a black double-breasted recycled polyester, tencel and wool blend tuxedo with detachable flower embellishment. Two other highlights of the collection are a yellow floral jacquard workwear jacket made from recycled polyester and a pair of trousers made from oilseed hemp crop waste.
Conscious Exclusive SS20: A journey towards circularity
The new season’s most elegant collection is inspired by Golden Age train travel and made from grape skins, fashion waste and undyed organic cotton.
Imagine the year is 1920, and you’re travelling from Calais to the Côte d’Azur on the legendary sleeper train Le Train Bleu. The It girls and boys of La Belle Epoque are lounging in the dining car with jazz playing softly in the background. Before joining them, you head over to your compartment to get changed from a gauzy day dress to a flamboyant evening gown.
This is what the design team at H&M’s Stockholm atelier had in mind when creating the brand’s most glamorous and innovative collection: Conscious Exclusive for spring and summer 2020.
“The stimulus for SS20 was the idea of glamorous train travel, which the design team felt was wonderfully symbolic of H&M’s journey as a company towards circularity. We were inspired by Le Train Bleu and the decadent creatives such as Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso hanging out at Villa Santo Sospir in Cap Ferrat. We wanted to propose a collection that played to that decadent, carefree time but also contained enduring designs our customers will love wearing daily,” says Ella Soccorsi, designer at H&M.
The collection’s key pieces include a floor-length ball gown, a taffeta mini dress, a ruffled day dress, a taffeta blouse with embellished sleeves and accessories ranging from flat blinged-out cocktail slippers to a vegan leather bag.
Although the inspiration behind the collection is a century old, the collection itself is made from seemingly futuristic materials including VEGEA™ (a vegan leather made from discarded grape skins), CIRCULOSE® (a fabric created from 100 per cent upcycled clothing and fashion waste), RENU™ (a high-quality recycled polyester), recycled glass beads and denim made from 100 per cent undyed organic cotton.
“For SS20, the Conscious Exclusive design team considered the emotional durability and afterlife of the garments they were designing more carefully than ever before. The team has doubled down on fabric composition, alongside utilising dyeing methods that come with less environmental impacts — we actually used a natural dye made from coffee grounds collected from H&M’s own production offices. We are committed to a truly holistic approach to sustainability, as well as to creating special pieces that will last a lifetime,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.
Timeless classics made from recycled PET bottles
The H&M Fall 2019 Conscious Collection launches in September and will feature cosy, yet sophisticated, pieces made from more sustainably sourced materials. But did you know that H&M’s commitment to sustainability goes way beyond the Conscious Collections? We’ve interviewed our Global Sustainability Manager, Pascal Brun.
The Fall 2019 Conscious Collection is here, with beautiful, long-lasting pieces made from recycled materials or materials with a lower environmental impact, such as recycled polyester made from used PET bottles, organic cotton and TENCEL™ lyocell. The collection is built around timeless autumn must-haves, like softly tailored checked separates, animal print dresses and oversized hoodies, coming in a colour palette featuring light neutrals, black and a popping orange-red.
Besides offering an addition of sophisticated staples that bring immediate chicness to your everyday wardrobe, the Fall 2019 Conscious Collection also highlights H&M’s commitment to sustainability — including the goal of only using sustainably sourced materials by 2030.
“H&M’s commitment to sustainability is fully integrated into our business idea, which is ‘fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way’. It is part of who we are and our values,” says Pascal Brun, Global Sustainability Manager at H&M Group.
“The Conscious Collections, and scaling our sustainable materials, contribute to the reduction of our environmental footprint. It also helps to make fashion sustainable, and sustainability fashionable, which ultimately could encourage our customers to make conscious choices.”
“The aim,” says Brun, “is to have a positive impact on people and communities, to become fully circular with a climate-positive value chain and, finally, to inspire and make it possible for everyone to make good choices.”
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR H&M TO BE AN INDUSTRY FRONTRUNNER WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY?
“The main driver for H&M is simply that we recognise that the fashion industry can’t continue to operate using its current model; the planet doesn’t have enough natural resources for this to be feasible. Working to move our business to a circular model is non-negotiable.
“With our size, we also have an opportunity to create a change. We are well positioned to impact our industry in a positive way. I have seen on the ground the positive impact we have on people, communities and the environment by making the right decisions and doing the right thing.
WHAT PREVENTS H&M FROM BECOMING A FULLY SUSTAINABLE BRAND TODAY?
“A single brand cannot create change alone. We need collaboration between governments, NGOs, brands and customers. A lot of great impactful activities and achievements so far come from collaborations, such as our Cotton Goal, Fair Living Wage Roadmap and Chemical Management.”
HOW WILL H&M REALISE THE GOAL OF ONLY USING SUSTAINABLY SOURCED MATERIALS BY 2030?
“To achieve 100 per cent sustainably sourced materials by 2030, it requires a lot of effort on all levels — from design to the end of use. We started that journey in 2010 with our Cotton Goal — that by 2020 all our cotton will be recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way. We can proudly say today that we are at 96 per cent through industry collaboration and innovation.”
“Achieving the 2030 goal will require at least the same amount of effort in terms of testing and scaling new innovations and engaging with the industry.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A “SUSTAINABLY SOURCED” MATERIAL?
“Sustainably sourced materials are fabrics that require significantly less water, energy and chemicals to produce or grow than conventional materials. Besides the Conscious Collections, we also have Conscious garments that can be found across all our departments all year round — just look out for our green Conscious hangtags!”
“Now, what do we count as Conscious? To qualify for a green hangtag, a product must contain at least 50 per cent sustainable materials, such as organic cotton or recycled polyester, but many of our garments contain more than that. The only exception is recycled cotton, which can only make up 20 per cent of a product due to quality restraints. We are, however, working with innovations to increase this share as soon as possible.”
“All of the materials that we class as sustainably sourced or Conscious are accredited by relevant third-party material standards.”
HOW WILL NEW TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION HELP CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE FASHION FUTURE?
“Material innovation such as garment-to-garment recycling is still limited today, but will definitely be a game changer for the industry. Through the H&M Foundation Global Change Award we are also exposed to some of the best groundbreaking innovations, such as Orange Fiber or Grape Leather.”
“Optimising technology around renewable energy will also be key. This sector is in constant development and we are already seeing solar power in some countries that is cheaper than the power grid. The next step is to optimise its capacity and storage.”
“AI is one of the most powerful tools we have in the transition toward a circular and sustainable fashion system. With AI we can make better decisions that impact our world in a sustainable way. One central aspect is to avoid over-production, which leads to for example unnecessary transports and warehousing. With the help of AI, we can align supply and demand much better, with the goal of only producing what we are selling.”
Коллекция conscious hm что это
В компании H&M мы стремимся создавать стильную одежду по оптимальной цене экологичными способами. Методы производства, используемые при изготовлении всех наших товаров, безопасны как для людей, которые участвуют в их создании, так и для окружающей среды. Читайте подробнее здесь.
Во всех разделах наших магазинов можно всегда найти товары, изготовленные из более экологичных материалов — такие товары обозначены зелеными этикетками с надписью Conscious!
Какие товары относятся к категории Conscious? Зеленой этикеткой обозначаются товары, содержащие не менее 50% экологичных материалов, таких как органический хлопок и переработанный полиэстер, однако многие наши товары содержат больше. Единственным исключением является переработанный хлопок, содержание которого может составлять всего 20%, что связано с ограничениями в отношении качества. Но мы постоянно внедряем инновации, чтобы как можно скорее повысить процентное содержание переработанного хлопка в изделиях.
Для оценки материалов мы используем данные, предоставляемые третьими сторонами, и прибегаем к сертификации, которая проводится сторонними организациями. Подробнее о том, как это происходит, а также о наших материалах вы можете прочитать здесь.
Выбирая товары из коллекций Conscious, вы помогаете нам сделать индустрию моды более экологичной!
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