H&M Foundation is a non-profit – functionally and financially independent from H&M Group but share the same industry connections. The Foundation asked us to help it leverage that unique position to achieve its core mission of jump-starting a sustainable transformation in fashion.

It’s a monumental challenge. Many have tried but the vastness of fashion’s supply chain, all parts of which need reform, has tended to dilute the reforming actions of individual brands. Without coordinated, sector-wide focus – in materials, manufacturing and re-use—no tipping point is reached. Meanwhile, progress has been slow on changes that might involve dismantling low-cost operations across the developing world.

A clothing collection that wasn’t aimed at consumers, but at an industry.

We identified 10 startups globally – from Kenya to Estonia – with the greatest potential to bring sustainable revolution to fashion. Start-ups with breakthrough technology but that were all missing something, funds and backing to scale their investments.

Each innovation was turned into a virtual garment, showing both how the garment could look, the amount of money the start-up was seeking (the price) and the potential sustainability impact that innovation could have.

DESIGN ELEMENTS:

Lookbook

Collection

Avatar

Website

Hero Film

Making of film

INTEGRATION:

The campaign was centered around a 3D avatar, wearing the collection designed by French fashion designer Pauline Chardin. The entire collection was packaged in a lookbook, which was available for download at the Billion Dollar Collection website, but also showcased in a Hero Film launched on YouTube.

DESIGN CHOICES:

The collection reflected the big-picture brief – ‘fashion 2030’ futurism – and Pauline created it using gender-fluid design and an environmental palette of clays and floral tones. Apart from the muted tones, we also incorporated small glitch elements in blue and pink on the website and in the lookbook to tie everything together.

PRESS

135 articles in 23+ countries

Universally favorable coverage for both the concept and H&M Foundation, including both dailies and key fashion titles.

Coverage was most prominent where we needed to hit to promote fashion reform (UK and US).

SOCIAL

95 million earned reach

3 100+ social engagement

1 000+ lookbook downloads

SUPPORTING START-UPS

Two start-ups; Algaeing (undisclosed amount) and Fairbrics (€ 4,6M) - an innovation that potentially could reduce emissions of CO2 by 720,000 metric tons annually by 2030 - have cited the Billion Dollar Collection as a direct contributor to closing their recent investment rounds.

Others are currently in negotiations and have been using our assets directly in meetings with potential supporters.

THE FUTURE OF THE COLLECTION

H&M Foundation is getting numerous requests to share the collection and have decided to continue to use the messaging, maintaining the momentum for transformation in the fashion industry.