Swedish fashion retailer H&M aims at using only recycled or sustainable materials by 2030. It launched a pilot project ‘Take Care in Germany’ which features in-store seamstresses, sales of garment care products and online advice. Take Care aims at encouraging H&M customers to extend the life of their clothes, giving them the means to take better care of their garments.
Over the course of three days, local influencers hosted a series of free workshops, including sessions on embroidery. It was also possible to have clothes from any brand repaired by seamstresses. The H&M app, as well as tablets inside the store, played amusing videos offering tips for wiping off lipstick stains or reattaching buttons.
On product side, H&M has developed a cleaning line with environment-friendly detergents, a stain-removing spray and cleansing wipes for sneakers. Also available are a sewing kit, patches for worn-out clothes and a washing bag designed to prevent the dispersal in the water of the microscopic plastic particles shed by synthetic fibers.
The project will eventually be deployed throughout H&M’s chain, tweaking it according to consumer feedback. It’s also a way of diversifying the range and encouraging people to come to the store for this specific purpose, whether they wish to personalise a garment or have it repaired.
