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This year’s H&M Conscious Exclusive Collection is made from waste, and I absolutely love it

By Laia | 30/11/2020

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Lucy Williams is wearing a Jacket with brooch
* Conscious Exclusive. Straight-cut jacket in Agraloop™ biofiber twill, made from hemp waste, recycled cotton, and Tencel™ lyocell. Pointed lapels with a detachable, flower-shaped fabric brooch. Concealed double-breasted fastening, welt front pockets, and an inner pocket. Cuffs with a slit and button. Lined. Agraloop™ is a process that transforms food waste into a new and innovative type of biofiber.
(Photo via @lucywilliams02)

This has been a year unlike any other, so instead of looking to the past for inspiration we were inspired by the creativity that emerges from appreciating the value of things around us. We started by looking at that which often gets overlooked. We asked ourselves: Can we wear trash? Can waste be beautiful? And we quickly fell in love with the poetry of possibility. That’s why every piece in the HM Conscious Exclusive A/W20 collection is made from waste.

“For A/W20, we really wanted to be trailblazers — pushing the limits of creativity and sustainable fashion — by focusing on waste. As a result, the pieces in this collection are crafted from truly amazing materials produced from waste. Working with this kind of transformation and being able to speak to our customers through beauty, we hope that waste can be part of the future of sustainable fashion,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.

Conscious Exclusive is an incubator for new materials and innovations that are eventually used in H&M’s main collections. Innovations in recycling and reuse mean that we can now turn waste into something beautiful. A unique textile-to-textile recycling process enables us to close the loop by turning textiles that would have been thrown away into high-quality polyester. This year two new fabrics make their H&M debut: Hemp Biofibre™, made from oilseed hemp crop waste, and Naia™ Renew, a cellulosic fiber sourced from circular content. The A/W20 collection also includes fabrics made from post-consumer carpet fiber, post-industrial plastic packaging and PET bottles. Are you in love with the mini dress that looks like a cloud of flowers? It’s made from closed-loop polyester!

Dramatic volume, softly structured shapes and glamorous ruffles combine with an edgy undertone to create a darkly poetic look and feel that is perfect for the holiday season. Key womenswear pieces, made from recycled polyester, include a yellow off-the-shoulder floral print dress with a voluminous ruffle along the chest, a black taffeta-like mini-dress with statement puff sleeves, and a forest green body-con cocktail dress with a ruched bodice and asymmetrical puff shoulder.

The collection also has an emphasis on versatile separates that can be dressed up or down. Think: a demure black cropped blazer and wide-leg pants made from a blend of Naia™ Renew and silk. Bold choker necklaces and earrings in a variety of recycled metals provide a rebellious contrast to the poetic clothing.

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Janka Polliani is wearing a jacquard-patterned shacket from the Men’s collection
* Conscious Exclusive. Shirt jacket in jacquard-weave fabric made from recycled polyester. Collar, buttons at front, and yoke at back. Chest pockets with flap and concealed fasteners, long sleeves, and adjustable buttoning at cuffs. Unlined.
+ jacquard-patterned pants
* Conscious Exclusive. Extra-long pants in thick, jacquard-weave fabric made from recycled polyester. Fitted at top with a high waist, zip fly with concealed hook-and-eye fastener, and safety button inside waistband. Discreet side-seam pockets, a mock welt back pocket, and straight legs with stitched creases. Slit at both sides of hems.
(Photo via @polliani)

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Nian Sandbech is wearing a green tulle dress.
* Conscious Exclusive. Ankle-length dress in thick tulle made from Renu™ polyester. Fitted bodice with draping, multiple layers of tulle ruffles at armholes, and concealed zipper at back. Reinforced with narrow grosgrain at waist with adjustable fastening inside for firm fit. Super-flared skirt with multiple layers of tulle for added volume and stability. Tulle and lining made from Renu™ polyester – a high-quality, recycled polyester made from raw materials extracted from used fabrics.
(Photo via @ninasandbech)

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Nina Sandbech is wearing a fabric flower covered dress.
* Conscious Exclusive. Short dress in soft mesh made from Renu™ polyester covered in fabric flowers. Organza yoke, short puff sleeves with concealed elastic at cuffs, and zipper at back. Gathered, super-flared skirt layered over mesh for added volume. Lining in soft satin made from recycled polyester. Renu™ polyester is a high-quality, recycled polyester made from raw materials extracted from used fabrics.
(Photo via @ninasandbech)

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Caroline Daur is wearing a cropped silk-blend bolero top
* Conscious Exclusive. Cropped bolero top in thick woven fabric made from a Naia™ Renew yarn and silk blend. Low-cut V-neck, wrapover front, and long, voluminous puff sleeves with inwardly turned cuffs. Wide, pleated, waist-length hem with wide, extra-long ties. Lined. Naia™ Renew is yarn made from certified wood fibers and recycled plastic.
+ matching silk-blend pants
* Conscious Exclusive. Wide-cut, fitted pants in twill made from a Naia™ Renew yarn and silk blend. Low waist with zip fly, concealed hook-and-eye fastener, and safety button inside waistband. Discreet side-seam pockets, welt back pockets, and straight, extra-long legs with pleats at top. Naia™ Renew is yarn made from certified wood fibers and recycled plastic.
(Photo via @carodaur)