Recycled Cashmere and Velvet from recycled polyester for H&M’s new Conscious Exclusive Collection

This autumn, H&M is launching its debut Conscious Exclusive A/W 2018 collection showcasing a range of sustainable fabrics, including recycled cashmere and velvet made from recycled polyester.  The Conscious Exclusive A/W 2018 is available online 

from 27 September on hm.com.

Inspired by a lost fragment of an ancient tapestry, the collection merges the life and journey of lost historical artefacts with the latest in sustainable fabric innovation, proposing dramatic yet romantic silhouettes and a modern edge.

“The Autumn/Winter collection of Conscious Exclusive started with a desire to create a statement coat in a sustainable material that could be worn for both those special occasions and day-to-day life, but then evolved into something more substantial by merging the journey of historical artefacts with a modern design sensibility,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M.

"Fabrics in this collection, like recycled cashmere, the new velvet made from recycled polyester as well as the use of leftover ECONYL® from the previous collection.  In addition, organic silks and cottons are used.  The quality and textures not only complement the designs but highlight the fabric innovation that H&M is closely involved with. The velvet, for instance, has taken years to develop in order to create a high enough calibre that we were happy with,”  says Cecilia Brännsten, Environmental Sustainability Manager at H&M group.

In addition to women’s ready-to-wear, the range includes lingerie, shoes and accessories that balance drama with sophistication, allowing the modern pieces to be worn for party season, but also for more laidback yet luxurious-feeling days.

Key items include a sweeping full-length black coat with an oversized collar and striking waist-high side slits made from a recycled wool blend, and an all-over sequinned flower jacket made from recycled PET bottles, while the long printed dress with voluminous sleeves and deep v back in 100% organic silk will also turn heads.

Overall, the colour palette consists of black, off-white, dusty rose pink, mustard yellow, dusty blues and a touch of light grey.

Accessories include sculptural earrings made from recycled plastic, black sock booties made from recycled polyester and slingback stilettos with ribbons made from recycled polyester and TENCEL™, a large printed scarf with long fringes in a TENCEL™ blend, a black shoulder piece with recycled velvet circles attached to long ribbons and a black sequinned hoodie.

Milan Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2018-19: Giorgio Armani Menswear Collection / Emporio Armani Collection

Giorgio Armani Menswear Collection for Autumn-Winter 2018-19; for the man who is comfortable in his own skin.

As shown at Milan Fashion Week in January, Giorgio Armani employs freedom of expression and love of synthesis to explore an imaginary world of action and elegance, inhabited by men who are proud but gentle in their movements.

Men who dress carefully, without frivolity, and who express themselves through nonchalant gestures, in a natural dialogue between body and clothes.

The eight button double-breasted jackets with peak lapels emphasise waist and shoulders, outlining a toned physicality. 

The trousers are fluid, cargo or jogger. The long coats and high-necked bomber jackets bestow a relaxed elegance. The accessories are strong in character: sturdy boots, large, soft backpacks, and hats with earmuffs.

The research focuses on texture: luxurious but never showy, it is expressed through craft materials and processes that make surfaces soft to the touch and opaque in appearance, testament to a life already lived. 

There is a narrative inherent in the colour range: a progressive movement designed to surprise, it opens with cashmere-type muted tones and shades, before fading into light khaki, grey and, finally, solidifying into black, with unexpected touches of emerald and ruby.

Milan Fashion Week Milan Autumn-Winter 2018-19 Emporio Armani Menswear Collection

Emporio Armani Autumn-Winter 2018-19 collection has a decisive, urban spirit, with an emphasis on the idea of new elegance: precious but not frivolous.

The label is a hub of individuality that encourages everyone to be themselves; an identity which is characterised by the projection of one's own personality, finding character, strength and uniqueness in the differences in each of us.

The city wardrobe has a dynamic tone, combining the innovation of the lines with that of the materials. 

The slender and sharp silhouette is evidenced in small-shouldered, double-breasted suit jackets, worn with flowing trousers, a wool trench coat with technical buckles, and a seamless kimono-style bomber. 

The outerwear pays homage to the world of mountain hiking and outdoor activities, with curly-haired sheepskin coats and pony-effect goatskin jackets.

Surfaces are treated and processed to produce tactile effects: chenille sweaters with fade-out patterns, and jacquards with stylised trees and clouds creating a poetic camouflage-effect on sportswear; butterfly wings flutter like flowers on new tuxedos.

The palette is a dense amalgam of greys, blacks and deep blues, energised by the pure white of shirts, the cool tones of greens and blues and the metal accents of gold and bronze. 

Accessories are functional, but come in refined materials: shoes with sharp lines, and capacious handbags featuring embossed patterns.

Source/Images: beautypress/Giorgio Armani / Emporio Armani

Y-3 showcases Autumn/Winter 18 'NICE TO MEET YOU' collection at Paris Grand Palais

With voluminous, oversized shapes, sportswear technicality and comfort as key, Y-3, the sportswear label created by adidas and designer Yohji Yamamoto, introduces the Autumn/Winter 2018  "NICE TO MEET YOU" collection in Paris this catwalk season, a nod to the ongoing collaborative nature of  the brand since its inception.

The goal is to distill the best of Yamamoto and adidas in daringly simple apparel, footwear, and accessories.  There is an emphasis on both craftsmanship and innovation — long-held qualities of both the German sportswear icon and the renowned Japanese designer. 

Presented at Grand Palais in January, the Fall/Winter 2018 runway collection represents not only a return to the roots of Y-3.  Presented mainly in black, white, deep ink, with an injection of sunny yellow and a floral camouflage print, it showcases a refinement and celebration of the brand's key characteristics: simplicity, proportion, heritage, and the three stripes distinctive of adidas. 

The collection rides a tension between tradition and progression, pairing Japanese craftsmanship, such as Sashiko embroidery, with the cutting edge innovation of CARBON 4D and BOOST™.

The Sashiko  stitching conjures a crucial human element —suggesting the hand of a couturier - and has been incorporated within the stacked logo motif that appears throughout the range.

When it comes to apparel, XXL is the new medium. Outerwear proportions are blown up to extremes and worn with body-conscious separates to create an intriguing contrast of covered and uncovered. This pairs with an innovative inside-out fabric concept: innerwear materials used as outerwear and vice versa.  Many of the styles are also reversible.

Graphic codes subtly nod to Y-3’s story. The print of the season — a camouflage floral —
represents both the grit of the street and the poetry of Yamamoto‘s avant-garde approach.

Note that bold slogans, such as ‘Y DON’T YOU CALL ADIDAS’  and ‘NICE TO MEET YOU’, tell the tale of collaboration and mutual respect from which Y-3 was born. 

Y-3 relentlessly innovates with its footwear offering, giving a taste of the future with SPEEDFACTORY and CARBON 4D, as well as debuting several new styles. Directly inspired by the adidas archive, the pioneering  Kaiwa melds a minimalist design philosophy with contrasting midsole accents for a bold, 3-D effect — shown on the runway both as a low-top trainer and knee-high sneaker-boot. The sleek, sock-like, sport-driven Ekika combines smooth neoprene mesh uppers with suede accents and stitched details, recalling the collection’s handcraft motif.