H&M uses recycled silver & Econyl in its Conscious Exclusive collection 2018

London - As H&M gets closer to achieving its ambitious goal of only using sustainable materials in its collections by 2030, it continues to experiment with new materials in its Conscious Exclusive Range. For its 2018 collection, H&M used two new sustainable materials, recycled silver and Econyl, a 100 percent regenerated nylon fibre made from fishnets and other nylon waste, for the first time.

For its seventh edition of the H&M Conscious Exclusive Collection, the Swedish Fashion Retailer introduced two new materials, recycled silver and Econyl in addition to its use of organic linen, organic cotton, organic silk, Tencel and recycled polyester. The 2018 collection features designs inspired by the home of Swedish artists Karin and Carl Larsson, such as handcrafted tapestries and needlework made by Karin. These aspects were translated by H&M's in-house design team into floral jacquards, abstract embroideries and prints.

"It is a great thrill to introduce two new sustainable materials into the collection," said Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M in a statement. "By creating gorgeous lace made of Econyl and beautiful jewellery crafted from recycled silver, we continue to stretch the boundaries of sustainable fashion. Also, the work of Karin Larsson, in particular, took on a lot of significance, her stylised motifs, bold compositions and use of colour throughout the house were ahead of its time. She was such a strong woman and it’s that spirit that we channelled."

Key pieces in the collection include a white Econyl dress with organic cotton embroidery, a green floral metallic jacquard full-length dress made from recycled polyester and a black floral jacquard trouser suit with an open slit at the back of the blazer and cropped flare trousers. The colour palette consists of green, white and black with hints of blue and pink. "Ever since I learned about this collection I’ve been really impressed by what it stands for and the designs are equally appealing," added Christy Turlington Burns, the face of this year's H&M Conscious Exclusive campaign.

"Fashion and sustainability is no longer a contradiction in terms and I think re-using and recycling is an important initiative across fashion. It’s really inspiring to see such fashion-forward designs being made from recycled materials." The Conscious Exclusive Collection is set to launch in selected H&M store worldwide and online at hm.com on April 19.

Photos: Courtesy of H&M