H&M and WWF have joined forces on a children’s collection featuring realistic prints of iconic animals at risk. For every item sold, 10 percent of the sales price will be donated to support WWF’s work in conserving endangered species.
The collection features animal prints such as the tiger, panda, snow leopard, polar bear and the finless porpoise, that are facing environmental threats including habitat loss, water pollution and the impact of climate change. The clothes are made with certified organic cotton and follow strict environmental and social criteria. It will be available in H&M stores worldwide and online while supplies last.
The easy to wear and comfortable collection ranges in size 11⁄2-14 as well as newborn and infant sizing from 0-12 months. Styles include long sleeve sweaters, T-shirts, dresses, tights, trousers and pajamas designed in a neutral color palette of beige, grey and off-white with accents of blue, emphasizing the realistic portrayal of the featured species. Select pieces also include inspiring messages like “roar for wildlife,” “protect my habitat,” or “let’s go wild,” to engage parents and kids in helping to support and raise awareness of impending endangerment of these animals.
The limited edition collection aims to inspire H&M’s customers to care for the planet as well as to highlight the apparel company’s partnership with WWF, which started in 2013 and will continue for an additional five years. The larger partnership focuses on water conservation and climate action, as well as raising awareness of the industry’s broader sustainability challenges.
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During 2016, the partners have started analyzing H&M’s organization and value chain to see where and how they can reduce the most greenhouse gas emissions. In collaboration with WWF, H&M will also set a new climate strategy, which includes setting long-term ambitious climate targets. The new strategy and targets will be released during 2017.
Update October 4, 2016: International labor rights group the Clean Clothes Campaign has denounced the new children’s collection, claiming it is yet another attempt by H&M to portray itself as a sustainable, responsible company while failing to address problems with the company’s core business practices.
“While H&M and WWF attempt to reduce water pollution and promote closed loop recycling management, core problems of their ‘fast fashion’ model are not addressed. H&M continues to pursue a business model that relies heavily on high sales volumes, rapid growth rates and overconsumption, and is therefore truly unsustainable at heart. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) fears that the company is once again profiting from a marketing opportunity that will lead to little change for affected people and may mislead consumers,” the statement read.
Earlier this year, the group released a report exposing that H&M’s supplier garment factories in Cambodia, which were claimed to be among its best, do not live up to the company’s own sustainability guidelines around contracts and freedom of association, among other issues. The Clean Clothes Campaign further took issue with H&M’s lack of progress on implementing a living wage for workers throughout its supply chain. A report from Labour Behind the Label released in February revealed that both H&M and Marks & Spencer (M&S) are not delivering on their promises to ensure living wages.
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Published Sep 30, 2016 5pm EDT / 2pm PDT / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST