British high street

H&M’s sustainable Spring 2021 collection features wearable sports-inspired tailoring
The ’90s, a decade of girl power (thank you, Spice Girls), dial-up Internet, seriously beautiful supermodels and the slinky slip dress. Sustainability (in fashion or otherwise), was definitely not dominating the zeitgeist. Fast-forward to 2021 and Calvin Klein minimalism is once again hitting the mainstream but this time, thankfully, there’s an eco-friendly focus.
Responsible for up to 10% of annual global carbon emissions, the fashion industry is making too many clothes (to put it very simply) and we, the consumer, are buying them, wearing them a handful of times and disposing of them the moment a new trend takes to the runway. But things are steadily changing and brands – from designer to high-street – have begun to reevaluate everything from timeless design to the materials they use and the size and frequency of new collection drops. Add to this a more mindful approach to buying and a circular fashion system is almost in sight.
H&M Spring 2021
With their Looop initiative (a machine that shreds old garments into new ones over the course of five hours), and Conscious Collections (including pieces made of materials from upcycled waste), H&M have invested wisely in sustainability practices, trialing natural fibers and kinder dyeing processes in their drive to use only 100% recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030. For Spring, they’ve taken it one step further by utilizing Agraloop BioFibre (a high-quality natural fiber derived from food-crop waste) and undyed organic cottons and denim to create a capsule of effortlessly versatile wardrobe basics.
The new collection includes cropped hoodie’s and loungewear shorts with drawstring details
Pared down tailoring, including a single-breasted blazer, a classic trench coat and a slip dress with ruching detail nods to the aforementioned ’90s resurgence and yet, there’s an elevated attention to detail that comes with timeless design; and a neutral color palette of beige, grey and black to give everything extra longevity.
The ’90s are back: one of the key pieces of the collection is this simple black slip dress
To mark the collection’s launch – of which 65% is recycled, organic, natural or sustainably sourced – H&M are going big, and by that we mean they are taking over the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, with a light show at 7.20pm on Wednesday March 24. Make a note in your diary, now.
H&M’s Spring 2021 collection will be available to buy online, through the H&M App and at selected H&M stores across the Middle East from March 25
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