H&M, a Swedish multinational clothing-retail, has collaborated with American denim legends, Lee, to push for the next generation of more sustainable denim. It’s a holistic collaboration with advances at every stage of design and production, from H&M’s first ever 100 per cent recycled cotton jeans, to non-leather back-patches made from cork and jacron paper.
For the first time, H&M will also share Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data on the H&M website indicating the water, C02, and energy impact of each denim garment from raw materials to end of use. This transparency is matched by the positivity of the fashion, with oversized and cocooning silhouettes as well as workwear shapes that draw on Lee’s esteemed heritage. Lee x H&M features collections for women, men and kids, and will be available on the H&M website, as well as selected H&M stores, from January 28, 2021, according to a media statement by H&M.
Lee x H&M is an ambitious collaboration that has sustainability central to its design. The brands took a holistic approach, looking at every stage of denim production. Fabric is crucial, such as H&M’s first 100 per cent recycled cotton jeans, made from 80 per cent post-industrial waste and 20 per cent post-consumer waste. There’s also denim that’s cotton-free, made instead from renewable man-made fibres, as well water-saving dyes and lower impact denim washes that are third party verified for their lower water usage, chemical, and energy consumption, according to H&M.
For the women’s collection, wide and loose jeans have a 90s throwback feel, while Lee’s classic rider jacket is recut with an oversized cocoon shape. Denim corsets add a feminine edge, while dungarees and over-shirts bring the functional workwear vibe, alongside Texloop RCOT recycled cotton jersey pieces for the full Lee x H&M look.
For the men’s collection, workwear jackets are a wardrobe essential with Lee’s true authenticity of design. Relaxed fit five pocket jeans are cut from 100 per cent recycled cotton, while relaxed carpenter jeans are made with water-saving dyes and 100 per cent Tencel Lyocell cellulosic sewing threads. There are workwear dungarees, denim bucket hats, and tote bags, as well as heavyweight jersey pieces to complete the more sustainable collection.
“We just loved working with Lee to push for change. A change for more sustainable and circular denim garments. We looked at every detail and challenged each other in a positive way. It’s also amazing to work with Lee’s iconic designs and give them a bit of our flavour, for H&M denim lovers around the world,” Jon Loman, designer at H&M said.
“Lee is proud to be collaborating with H&M to continue our efforts to make better denim. Our brand was founded more than 130 years ago with innovation in mind, and today we are happy to be joining with H&M to advance denim into a more sustainable future,” Chris Waldeck, EVP global brand president, Lee said.
