H&M Conscious Collection '14

 

Much to the excitement of eco-fashionistas and fashionistas alike (an amazing thing in itself), last week H&M released the official images of their second Conscious Collection, of which all the pieces are created entirely from sustainable materials. This year, H&M collaborated with the sustainable fashion and design think-tank EVER Manifesto, who fronted the campaign alongside model and eco pioneer Amber Valletta. 

I’m pretty excited about the collection for two reasons. Firstly, I feel like H&M are really hitting the mark this time in terms of the aesthetic of the clothes. Inspired by flamenco and bohemia, the designs include a mix of gipsy-esque, long sleeved and loose fit, and also more heavily structured creations. The pieces that really stand out for me are predictably all either navy or white, but in particular, the loose-fit trousers, which are made entirely from recycled polyester and also the embellished top made from organic cotton and hemp. It’s really refreshing to see H&M moving away from the floral/nature motif of the 2013 collection, which demonstrates that in a very short space of time, the aesthetic of sustainable fashion is seeing an escape from the restraints of its ecological association.

The second reason H&M should be applauded for the collection is for the varying price range of the pieces. When it comes to shopping sustainably I think it’s as much about how we buy as it is about what we buy, which ultimately, is dictated by price. Sustainability is also about investing in key pieces that will last a long time; that are both physically durable and also capable of surpassing fickle trends. Alongside other fast fashion retailers, H&M offer customers stylish affordability and though affordable clothes will always remain a necessity, their extortionately cheap high-street prices stimulate a way of shopping whereby we are inclined to buy much more than we need.

Most pieces in the Conscious Collection fall into the price range of either £10 - £35 or £70 - £125, so come at a slightly pricier cost whilst on the whole, remaining accessible. However, it also challenges the fast-fashion fuelled 'it's so cheap it doesn't matter' approach to shopping because the majority of us will be forced to choose and invest in just one or two pieces, and therefore to really consider beforehand what we want to buy.

So, the collection is conscious in more ways than one; the clothes have been manufactured using sustainable, quality materials. Yet, they also have the potential to naturally reinstate a more thoughtful, purposeful, and conscious approach to consuming.