Sustainable fashion at H&M spring 2010

As the weather begins to warm up, a new fashion mood is blossoming at H&M. This spring will see a women’s collection of floral and feminine fashion in sustainable materials. “We are extremely proud of our Garden Collection for women, which has organic and recycled materials in every single garment,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Head of Design at H&M. “The mix of floral prints and khaki classics works brilliantly for day to evening wear. I particularly like the sheer floral ruffle dress, the drawstring khaki jacket and the beautiful red rose bustier dress.” There is also a selection of garments in sustainable materials in the men’s department. “There are some real highlights to look forward to,” says Ann-Sofie, “like the super-smart organic cotton slim-fit suit worn over a crisp gingham shirt.”

H&M introduce skincare with certified organic ingredients

Debuting this month at H&M is its first ever range of skin care with certified organic ingredients that are good for both body and soul. The range of everyday essentials includes shower gel, body scrub, body lotion, hand cream and lip balm, all of which are based on natural, organic ingredients and certified by Ecocert – Europe’s biggest certification body for organic and natural cosmetics. “It felt like a natural step, since we’ve worked with organic cotton garments for some seasons now. There’s also a strong demand from our customers for organics, and I hope they will be as excited as I am about the new products,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Head of Design at H&M. The products are available in the fragrance combinations of raspberry and melon or lavender and mint, and are accompanied by make-up and toilet bags made from organic cotton.

Lovisa Burfitt to design cotton bags for H&M’s and UNICEF’s “All for Children”

Swedish illustrator Lovisa Burfitt will be designing a bag in organic cotton to help raise funds for H&M and UNICEF’s All for Children initiative. Previously Sonia Rykiel designed two organic cotton bags, one of which was part of the knitwear collection she created in collaboration with H&M. Lovisa Burfitt’s bag will debut in store in June, giving H&M customers the chance to donate to All for Children with 30% of each sale going to the project. All for Children is H&M’s biggest project with UNICEF to date and aims to improve the situation of children who live in the cotton-producing regions of southern India. The project will run for five years, from its start in 2009, and has a budget of $4.5 million. A fourth bag, designed by another famous illustrator will arrive in store in August, and will also be sold to benefit All for Children.

H&M designs swimwear to support WaterAid

It’s not long until summer, and this year’s WaterAid collection at H&M is full of bikinis in aquatic colours to make you dream of summer holidays, while dip-dyed shorts for men and slogan T-shirts add a fashion twist. The swimwear collection for women is an explosion of vivid colours that gives it a real summer feel. Batik-style bikinis for girls and sporty shorts with colourful prints for boys are also part of the collection, and from every item bought, 10% of sales will go directly to WaterAid.

“It’s hard to imagine living without clean water,” says Caroline Whatley of WaterAid, “but that’s the reality for many of the world’s poorest people, and 4,000 children die every day from water-related diseases. Every time someone buys a product from H&M’s WaterAid collection, they will be helping WaterAid to save lives by providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education for people living in poverty.” Since 2002, H&M is proud to have raised over £1million for the charity WaterAid, to provide clean water and sanitation in some of the poorest communities around the world, including areas of Bangladesh where some of H&M’s clothing is produced.

Sustainability – the way forward

Caring for our planet is not a trend – it is the way forward. “We definitely take a long-term perspective, and aim to offer our customers products with sustainable materials and look at how we can run our entire business in a more sustainable way,” says Catarina Midby, trend coordinator at H&M. One of H&M’s spring collections – the Garden Collection – is made entirely from organic and recycled materials. H&M has already introduced organic cotton – first in its baby and children’s range in 2004 and then in its fashion collections from 2007. Since 2008, H&M has committed to increasing its use of organic cotton by 50% a year until 2013. “We thought about what we could do, and decided to set a goal for our work,” says Catarina. H&M is also actively exploring other organic and recycled fabrics, as well as new materials that can contribute towards more environmentally friendly products. “Our design team is very committed to this issue,” says Catarina. "Many of our fashion basics are made with organic cotton, as well as some of the most trend-driven products. Fashion should be about building a wardrobe of essentials that can be worn over many years and mixed with selected seasonal trends. Some of our collections here at H&M consist of fashion essentials that will last a long time. Clothes don’t have to be made from sustainable materials in order to have a sustainability value,” says Catarina. These moves towards sustainability at H&M reflect the individual concerns of those who work for the company, and mirror the growing environmental awareness of its customers. “It’s an education process for us and for our customers,” says Catarina. "We all have to learn about new materials and about how to care for our clothes in a more energy-efficient way. We can wash clothes at lower temperatures, avoid tumble drying and air our clothes instead of always throwing them in the washing machine."

For more information please contact H&M’s press service: 
E-mail: mediarelations@hm.com
Telephone: +46 8 796 53 00