It’s no big secret that we’re huge fans of Hennes & Mauritz, the affordable-fashion mega giant that you probably know as H&M. Their attention to detail, constantly innovative designs, and affordable price-point make them a must for many seasonal staples. But our obsession goes far beyond the basics.

Through its many collaborations, H&M has brought its fans everything from eco-conscious clothing lines to high-fashion collections with Versace, Comme des Garcons, and Alexander Wang (just to name a few). Some collabs, like the upcoming crossover with Balmain, come quite close to haute couture, and that’s something that everyone can appreciate no matter the size of your pocketbook. But it’s the behind-the-scenes collaborations that are helping to fundamentally change the fashion industry, and in the process are capturing our hearts.

Global Change Award

Looking to fundamentally alter the one-way production and consumption models of the past, where one season’s must-haves are next season’s trash, H&M’s Conscious Foundation is supporting a new generation of innovators who can change the way in which garments are designed, produced, used and recycled. “Closing the Loop” as H&M refers to it, means that their products are being designed with more than one life in mind, so that either the raw materials or the garments themselves are becoming a part of a reusable life cycle.

“The question for fashion is no longer ‘What is the new black?’, but rather, ‘What innovative ideas can close the loop?’” Global Change Award Jury member and Professor at the University of the Arts London, Rebecca Earley says. “The Global Change Award is looking for ideas that will protect the Earth’s natural resources, and I am excited to be part of it.”

And to show their support for new innovations in the industry, they’re putting a €1 million grant up for grabs for anyone with a creative enough idea to help reduce fashion’s impact on the environment. H&M’s Conscious Foundation will help nurture the top five contestants, giving them the opportunity to actualize their ideas under a unique mentorship. And better yet, the top five will also be able to maintain full equity of their products and all intellectual property rights to their innovations.

“Ground-breaking, game-changing ideas can come from anywhere, so the challenge is open to anyone” CEO of H&M, Karl-Johan Persson says. “Each year the Global Change Award aims to find the truly brave and bold ideas that make change.”

“I’m also eager to see how the fashion industry as a whole will embrace the challenge of closing the loop.”

The winners will be selected by an accomplished and eclectic panel of judges including: CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week Eva Kruse, Supermodel Amber Valletta, and Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Italia Franca Sozzani. Awards will be announced at the grand award ceremony in Stockholm, February 2016, and until then designers are encouraged to apply and the general public is encouraged to vote online because half of the total grant will be awarded to the idea with the most online support.Visit: www.globalchangeaward.com for more information, and maybe your idea will be the one to help change the face of fashion and the world!

Buying Into Closing the Loop

H&M isn’t just about the idea of “Closing the Loop”, they’re bringing the concept full-circle in their stores as well. So perhaps if you’ve donated in the last two years you may find some familiar textiles on hangers and shelves, since you may have been the owner who closed the loop yourself.

“Since 2013, H&M customers worldwide can bring unwanted or worn-out clothes from any brand to any of its stores as part of its Garment Collecting Initiative” spokespersons for H&M say. “So far, over 18,000 tonnes of textiles have been collected globally.”

And they’re taking what was once old and used into something entirely new, breathing life back into unwanted textiles. Deconstructing old garments collected as part of the Garment Collecting Initiative, H&M is taking these textile fibers and creating new denim key pieces from 100% recycled materials. So whether you’re into vintage finds, or you’re a thrifty buyer in for the newest style, there’s a way to close the loop to suite your every need.

Collaborations for A New Standard In Animal Welfare

As avid proponents of alternative materials and sustainable fashion, H&M is no stranger to the topic of animal welfare. In fact the company is proudly a fur free retailer, and when they do opt for animal-derived textiles and textures such as leather, animal hair and even down, they try to enforce a strict standard so that the retailer and all of their customers can openly know where their products are coming from and how they are sourced. It’s a feat that requires quite a lot of collaboration and responsible sourcing on behalf of the company, but it’s one that they’re determined to accomplish.

“Animal welfare is important to H&M. Animals must be treated with respect at all times” spokespersons for H&M say. “Our Animal Welfare policy guides us and our suppliers to act responsibly and transparently.”

“Our ambition is to improve animal welfare in our supply chain and in our industry. To help us succeed with this bold ambition we have decided to also partner with the well-known animal welfare organization, Humane Society International.”

With a shared aim to help improve animal welfare within the industry across the board, H&M and the Humane Society International (HSI) are working together to globally promote the humane treatment of animals and even achieve a global ban on animal testing within the beauty industry. But that doesn’t mean that the company is going entirely vegan for its upcoming collections. By responsibly sourcing their materials and clearly outlining what sort of practices H&M will and will not accept, their Animal Welfare policy creates a code of ethics that the company hopes to continue to uphold with the use of wool, down, leathers and other animal hairs. It’s a unique course of action, but H&M hopes to make it an industry-wide standard with the help of HSI.

“It is always exciting to partner with a company that shares our passion for animal protection” CEO for Humane Society International, Andrew Rowan says. “Working with H&M to end cosmetics animal testing, and improve the lives of animals on farms, will set a high standard for others to follow. It will show that it not only makes good ethical sense to treat animals with kindness and compassion, but it makes good business sense too.”