H&M Drops Summer Followup to SS20 Studio Collection, Sustainability Chief Now CEO
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H&M Drops Summer Followup to SS20 Studio Collection, Sustainability Chief Now CEO
Models Cara Taylor, Felice Nova Noordhoff and Mayowa Nicholas were styled by Ludivine Poiblanc in the retailer’s vision of a wide range of wardrobe solutions for the woman who surfs, climbs and explores. Lachlan Bailey captured the model trio in advance of the original late February drop of the 45-piece collection. The summer drop happens now.
Like its more expensive sister, the H&M Conscious Exclusive collections, the Studio collection is moving toward a more sustainable future. “By the end of the year, 100% of our cotton will be organic, recycled, or obtained via the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI),” Wikell. explained, underscoring how the company is on target to hit one of its ambitious sustainability goals.
H&M Promotes Sustainability & Production Chief to CEO
In January 2020, Helena Helmersson became the new chief executive officer of H&M, replacing Karl-Johan Persson.
Helmersson became the first woman to pilot one of the four largest global fashion groups, and she assumed the role as H&M’s former director of sustainability, also responsible for H&M worldwide production.
In October 2019 Fast Retailing, parent of Uniqlo, surpassed H&M, making them the second largest global fashion retailer. The 70-year-old founder of Fast Retailing, Tadashi Yanai, said in a September 2019 interview that he would prefer to be succeeded by a woman.
“The job is more suitable for a woman,” Yanai, the chief executive officer behind clothing giant Uniqlo, said in an interview. “They are persevering, detail oriented and have an aesthetic sense.”
In one of her first pre-pandemic initiatives, Helena Helmersson launched an initiative called Treadler that will give other companies access to H&M’s global supply chain and even help them with product development, while adhering to H&M’s sustainability scorecard goals.
Treadler, led by managing director Gustaf Asp, has a clear mission to help clients accelerate sustainable change. H&M released its 2019 Group Sustainability Report on April 2, authored by Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability H&M Group. It highlights progress towards the company’s vision to lead the change towards circular and climate positive fashion while being a fair and equal company.
In our COVID-19 world, those goals will be fully tested — a reality acknowledged and embraced in the new sustainability scorecard report.
