H&M: Connecting the (fashionable, sustainable) dots

“H&M’s Conscious Exclusive collection shows how the best style can be mindful of the planet to help protect it for the future. It’s such a desirable collection, with pieces made from sustainable materials that you want to wear for seasons to come.” These are the words of Natalia Vodianova, the face of H&M’s new sustainable collection.

Small wonder then that Jackie Burger and H&M collaborated on Salon 58’s latest soirée that focused on sustainability in fashion, held at Cape Town’s Gallery Momo earlier this month. Jackie believes that fashion should never dictate what we can or cannot wear and this inspired a range of trousers, shirts, dresses and skirts all made from recycled and / or sustainably produced fabrics and materials. Centre stage was a gossamer pink evening gown made from soft chiffon that once was plastic bottles washed up on a beach. In addition to this trademarked Bionic fabric, H&M is the world’s biggest user of cotton certified by the Better Cotton Initiative. Their goal is to use only recycled or sustainably sourced fabrics by 2030 and to be climate positive throughout the company by 2040. This undertaking starts with using only renewable energy in the production chain. To illustrate how easy it can be to take a more sustainable approach to fashion, guests were asked to bring unwanted clothes and drop them into the recycling bins provided by H&M’s global Garment Collecting initiative. Since its launch, over 35 000 tonnes of garments have been collected. In exchange, shoppers are rewarded with vouchers to use towards their next H&M purchase. The soirée doubled as the official launch of the H&M Conscious Collection in South Africa and the highlight for many was the pop-up shop where guests could buy their favourites well before the range’s in-store launch on 20 April. Burger will host her next salon on Saturday 24 June where after she will launch a series of smaller, tailored Salon 58 experiences that focus on personal style.   Contact: H & M South Africa Salon 58