Global fashion retail giant H&M’s Conscious collection is nothing new. The eco-conscious line has been around for some time, and in order to qualify for it, each garment must contain at least 50% eco-friendly materials, such as organic cotton or recycled polyester. Now, H&M is taking its commitment to sustainability a step further by revealing a whole new Conscious Exclusive collection.
You can expect the Autumn/Winter 2020 collection to be made out of a wide range of sustainably-sourced and manufactured materials such as Tencel Lyocell, closed-loop recycled polyester, Vegea, and more.
Some of the Conscious Exclusive pieces were brought to life via the Agraloop process, which works to convert oilseed hemp crop waste into Hemp Biofibre. This is H&M’s first foray into the Agraloop process, however, it’s a process that they highly value owing to its circularity.
Beyond Hemp Biofibre, the collection also used a fascinating cellulosic yarn called Naia Renew. Naia Renew is manufactured by a company called Eastman and has been referred to as the “silk of the future.” This plant-based fabric was used in several of the womenswear pieces and is made from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified recycled plastic waste.
Further, H&M introduced a new sustainable dyeing method into their manufacturing processes. They did this in collaboration with WeaReSpingDye, whose patented SpinDye technology takes a sustainable approach to dyeing fabric, whereby colouration of the recycled material is done prior to the material being transformed into fibre and spun into yarn.
While this might not sound like a marked change, the result of this SpinDye method is a decrease of 75 percent in water consumption and a decrease of 90 percent in chemical usage. Together, this accounts for 30 percent less energy and a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions.
As for the aesthetic of the 38-piece collection, it is a mix of high-end evening wear and trendy business formal pieces, with a colour palette of black, marigold, mint green, olive green, and white. More specifically, the women’s collection features a floral off-the-shoulder gown made out of closed-loop recycled polyester, an olive green tulle confection, and a pair of multifunctional black booties made out of vegan leather created from grape skins, as well as necklaces, earrings, and shoe clips all made from recycled metals.
In the way of menswear, you can expect lots of luxe, holiday-ready suiting options. The hero piece for the men’s collection is certainly the black double-breasted tuxedo, made from a blend of recycled polyester, Tencel, and wool. You’ll also find a pair of trousers made out of oilseed hemp crop waste.
All images in this article are courtesy of H&M.
