Some of H&M Conscious collection, made from conscious materials : Organic cotton, Recycled polyester, Recycled polyamide, Recycled plastic, Organic linen, Recycled cotton, Recycled wool, TENCEL ®, Organic hemp, Organic Jute.
"There is no way for us not to think about and invest in our sustainability, because it simply makes business sense." Says H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson.
That simple statement was inspiring me in between our group discussion with Karl-Johan Persson himself, and some fellow journalists. I never knew that H&M has a very big dream to make the world 'better', literally.
H&M
Conscious is the name for all H&M’s work for a more sustainable
fashion future. H&M like to think of sustainability as a word of
action, something they do rather than something they simply say. It is an
ongoing process with a clear direction to be continuously improved. It
is a journey that requires determination, passion and teamwork.
In their opinion it is all about the magic 3 Ps, which are PEOPLE, PLANET, and PROFIT. Three of them are highly
interconnected, and equally important. As we know, the earth is facing scarcity
issues on many fronts. Clean water, energy and cotton, to name a few. H&M sees those problem, and their vision is that all of H&M operations
should be run in a way that is economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable.
Turning this vision into a reality helps H&M
do great business using fewer resources. It also allows them to
contribute to better lives for people and communities around the world. Yet, H&M always goes beyond that. They want to make more sustainable choices in
fashion available, affordable and attractive to as many people as
possible.
Together with millions of H&M customers, they can bring massive
change – from improving the livelihood of a cotton farmer to how their
customers care for the clothes they buy.
H&M want their colleagues to be proud of where they work. H&M want their
customers to feel reassured about the fashion they buy and that we have
exceeded their expectations. H&M want to take on the challenge of making
fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable.
That is why they have created H&M Conscious. With seven ambitious
strategic commitments at its heart:
1. Provide fashion for conscious customers
2. Choose and reward responsible partners
3. Be ethical
4. Be climate smart
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
6. Use natural resources responsibly
7. Strengthen communities
Are you conscious enough???
Award-Winning collection from Minju Kim for H&M
Another excitement from H&M is the H&M Design Award 2013. Finalists came from design schools in Europe, and they brought fresh ideas with their personal twist. The winner will receive a prize of €50,000, the chance to show his or her collection at Mercedes-Benz Stockholm Fashion Week, and develop selected pieces from his or her collection to be sold in selected H&M stores this autumn.
List of this year grand jury:
- Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Head of Design
- Fashion designer Jonathan Saunders
- Editor-at-large of style.com Tim Blanks
- Photographer Sølve Sundsbø
- Stylist Leith Clark
- Blogger and photographer Hanneli Mustaparta
- Fashion journalist Kristopher Arden Houser
- H&M’s Creative Advisor Margareta van den Bosch.
Minju Kim is the winner of the H&M Design Award 2013. Minju is a 27 year-old graduate from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and was selected by a jury of international fashion experts for her collection which transformed characters into outfits.
Minju Kim
“Creating this collection with H&M has been an amazing experience. My designs are about turning characters into outfits, and it’s exciting to think that these characters will soon be worn by people around the world. Winning the H&M Design Award has given me a unique insight into the global fashion industry,” says Minju Kim.
Minju’s pieces for H&M bring the dream world of Manga to life with unique cuts and clever fabric combinations. A collarless coat in vivid yellow, a short jacket in two contrasting jacquards or a cape made of black wool creates a sweet rounded silhouette. The textured heavy knit links the sleeves to the body with cartoonish curves, while a neoprene-fronted sweatshirt is printed with Manga-inspired images drawn by Minju herself. A paneled mini-dress mixes matt with shine, while jacquard trousers keep their structured shape. To complete the look there’s a black and white wedge platform lace-up and a characterful turquoise leather collar.
“I’m so happy that pieces from Minju Kim’s winning collection from the H&M Design Award 2013 will soon be available. Minju has such a unique design signature, one that combines playfulness, fantasy and optimism with great creativity and technical skill. These pieces by Minju Kim show H&M’s commitment to the future of design and to helping move fashion forward,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Creative Head of Design.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Creative Head of Design
As part of her overall prize, nine women’s pieces and two accessories have been developed with the H&M design team. The collection will be available from October 17 at selected H&M stores in Sweden, Denmark, the US, UK, Japan, South Korea, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as well as online. It will also be available at Opening Ceremony in New York, Los Angeles and London, the first time an H&M collection will be sold at Opening Ceremony stores.
Dewi Utari 2008-2014. All rights reserved.
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