SPOTLIGHT ON: H&M

Whatever age you are, whatever gender you are, wherever on the planet you are, if you’re into fashion and always want to look current with the latest trends, you have to love H&M (Hennes & Mauritz). The international retailer has you covered with up-to-the-moment clothes and accessories for work, school, a night on the town, a day at the beach—you name it.

The seed for the brand was planted in Sweden in 1947, when Erling Persson, inspired by US department stores, opened Hennes (Swedish for Hers). What began as a store for women expanded to include menswear when the company acquired Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and fishing retailer, and eventually blossomed into the global force we know as H&M. Stores popped up all over Europe before spilling over into the American and Asian marketplace in the early ’00s. It turned out the drive to look stylish without destroying one’s credit was an impulse that knew no borders.

Starting in 2004, with their collab with Karl Lagerfeld, H&M has been pushing the boundaries between luxury and fast fashion by periodically teaming up with couturiers and up-and-coming designers to launch collections that are both cutting-edge and affordable. Guest designers have included Kenzo, Versace, Comme des Garcons, and Sandra Mansour.

As fast fashion has been cast as something of a bête noir in the expanding conversation about sustainability, climate change, and globalization, H&M has weathered a few controversies. They have faced allegations of exploitative labor practices in South Asia, racially insensitive ad campaigns in the US and UK, and knowingly contributing to consumer attitudes that promote global waste, as well as trying to walk a fine line while condemning slave labor used in China without alienating their massive Chinese brand-base.

But in all cases they have responded with deliberation and care; responses to the callouts have led to such meaningful changes as the company’s pledge to pay all workers a local living wage and their implementation of programs that encourage textile recycling and clothing reuse. So we can all shop the latest looks without breaking the bank or our codes of ethics.