H&M’s Conscious Exclusive SS20 Collection Has Circular Innovation at Its Heart

H&M’s Conscious Exclusive collection returns for SS20 infused with the glamour of the Golden Age of train travel while taking circularity as its philosophy. Alongside a host of sustainable processes and innovative fabrications, the collection is inspired by Le Train Bleu, the elegant sleeper train that ran from Calais to the Côte d’Azur in the 1920s. Bringing together flamboyant evening gowns and gauzy day dresses, the collection features new sustainably sourced materials such as CIRCULOSE ®, a natural material produced from recycled textiles and RENUTM, a high-quality recycled polyester, as well as leftover stock fabrics from previous collections. The SS20 Conscious Exclusive collection will be available in selected stores and online at Hm.com from March 26.

“The stimulus for SS20 was the idea of glamorous train travel, which the design team felt was wonderfully symbolic of H&M’s journey as a company towards circularity. We were inspired by Le Train Bleu, and the decadent creatives such as Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso hanging out at Villa Santo Sospir in Cap Ferrat. We wanted to propose a collection that played to that decadent, carefree time but also contained enduring designs our customers will love wearing daily,” says Ella Soccorsi, designer at H&M. 

Key pieces include a floor-length recycled polyester ball gown; a recycled taffeta mini dress with pleated sleeves; a CIRCULOSE ^®, a ruffled day dress; a recycled taffeta blouse with embellished sleeves; and a denim which is made of 100 % undyed organic cotton. Key accessories include flat cocktail slippers with recycled glass bead embellishment (leftover from a previous collection) and a bag made from VEGEA™, an innovative vegan leather alternative made from discarded grape skins and stalks.  

“For SS20, the Conscious Exclusive design team considered the emotional durability and afterlife of the garments they were designing more carefully than ever before. The team has doubled down on fabric composition, alongside utilizing dyeing methods that comes with less environmental impacts – we actually used a natural dye made from coffee grounds collected from H&M’s own production offices. We are committed to a truly holistic approach to sustainability, as well as to creating special pieces that will last a lifetime,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.

About H&M Conscious Exclusive
Conscious Exclusive is H&M’s premium womenswear collection of elevated pieces and timeless classics that are made from sustainably sourced materials and using sustainable methods. It was launched in 2012 with a focus on development and innovation. The Conscious Exclusive collections have historically comprised a test bed for new, innovative materials and ways of sustainable thinking that are subsequently incorporated across the H&M business. This contributes to the ambitious goal to only use recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030.