In February of this year, H&M announced the launch of a new brand concept called Innovation Stories. Revolved around sustainable practices and materials, it would be a way for the global retailer to drive experimentation and highlight progressive ideas and designs.
The first Innovation Stories collection, Science Story, debuted alongside the launch of the concept. Now, H&M is gearing up for the release of the second collection within the Innovation Stories initiative.
This new collection dubbed “Colour Story” is centred on – you guessed it – colour. However, in addition to the spring capsule collection being made up of lots of brightly coloured garments, H&M also used Colour Story as a way of exploring more sustainable methods of working with colour.
As such, sustainable dyeing techniques and printing processes were used in order to minimize the impact on the environment. Specifically, H&M used plant-based pigments, biotechnology, and closed loop systems to bring their second Innovation Stories collection to life.
The global retailer partnered with various innovators, designers, and engineers in order to figure out the most eco-friendly way to dye the pieces for their collection. For example, they worked with We Are SpinDye, a company that specializes in low impact methods of colouring clothing, specifically for recycled and recyclable polyester.
H&M also joined forces with Colorifix, a company that uses a natural, biological process to produce and fix pigments onto textiles. They are the first to use such a process, one that also involves DNA sequencing. Finally, H&M partnered with Alchemie Technology Endeavor. They known for their waterless digital on-demand dyeing process that claims to reduce the carbon footprint of any clothing item by 85%.
The Colour Story collection, as with the inaugural Science Story collection, features a mix of clothing and accessories. This time around, consumers are invited to shop everything from a digitally printed spaghetti strap cropped shirt to a poncho-style hoodie made with plant-based dye.
There is even a matching top and trouser set that was produced using We Are SpinDye’s unique spin dyeing technique. Many of the garments feature vibrant yet earthy hues, such as indigo, sage green, and orange, as well as a tie dye-esque effect.
In terms of accessories, H&M’s Colour Story includes hoop earring made from recycled glass and chunky sandals that use an innovative material called Bloom (a plant-based foam produced with algae biomass).
“We’re continually aiming to create elevated pieces with more sustainable materials and processes. With this collection, our forward-thinking designs work together with revolutionary dye processes to make a positive change — be that lower water consumption or reformed manufacturing,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M. “This collection has a charming free spirit; our customers will no doubt love these contemporary pieces, but we hope they’re inspired by the empowering sustainable narrative, too.”
The Colour Story collection is debuting globally on H&M’s website April 15, and will be in select H&M stores in the United States and Canada on April 22.
All images in this article are courtesy of H&M.
