Iris Apfel is about to drop a collab with H&M TODAY, and I'm ready for it...

Iris wears suit from H&M collection

 
Iris Apfel - the grande dame of fashion and probably the most stylish woman currently walking the planet turned 100 last year. 

What makes Iris so cool? Her ability to put clashing items together and make them look like they were always meant to be; her bravery - I just wouldn't have the balls to dress like her - I'd feel everyone was looking at me; her incredible imagination - where on earth do those ideas come from? The jewellery, the colours, the prints - she looks like she's' wearing everything in her wardrobe at once, and yet makes it look so simple and elegant. Iris Apfel is my fashion hero. And at 100 years old, she has just done a collab with H&M.

The suit Iris wears above

£119.99 jacket £79.99 trousers

Said to 'pay homage' to the icon's unique and instantly-recognisable style, the collection launched in selected H&M stores and online TODAY.

Explaining her inspiration behind the line and why she loves H&M, Iris muses, "style is not about spending a lot of money...It's not about what or who you wear, but how you feel when wearing something. Style is about self-expression and, above all, attitude."

"I think H&M is fabulous and they are absolute pioneers in their field - which I love. I love doing high style at affordable prices, which H&M has mastered!"

Model wears outfit from Iris Apfel collab with H&M

A business woman, fashion designer, interior designer and all-round style icon, Iris is known and loved for her bold, fearless approach to getting dressed. Iris's style is instantly recognisable - the huge round glasses, white cropped hair and bold red lipstick never change, but her outlandish fashion choices will always make her stand out from the crowd. It's this love of carefree fashion that has seen her influence the fashion landscape for decades.

"With this collaboration, we are celebrating a unique and extraordinary woman and her creative and audacious style," said Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative adviser at H&M.

"Iris epitomises personal style. A style that is both beautifully flamboyant and eclectic as well as being totally ageless. She shows what fashion is all about - a means to express yourself, who you are or want to be and having fun at the same time - a true inspirer!"

Enamel ring of Iris' famous visage £29.99

"She shows that style is ageless and keeps encouraging people to show who they are with fashion — and to have fun at the same time."

The collection has something for everyone - from the brave who love to dress head to toe in bold colour, to those who just want a little piece of Iris in their collection. It includes both clothing and accessories, and features everything from colourful two-piece sets, floral suits, tiered ruffle dresses and super bright printed pieces. 

Of course, this being Iris, there is a full jewellery line to complement the wardrobe which takes inspiration from her love of layered, statement pieces. we're told that these accessories pull from many themes, "including plants, animals, and treasures from another world." 

Check out my favourite pieces below, from the green Sesame Street monster fluffy jacket, the yellow jacquard trousers to the black and orange Kaftan dress and the leafy green and lilac jacket and mini skirt combo. I also wouldn't say no to the purple ruffle jacket, yellow silk bejewelled loafers and green plastic necklace. Oh and maybe the orange swimsuit, the green tiered kaftan and throw in the ring featuring Iris's famous visage in enamel. Stunning, colourful, so much fun with just a touch of the devil worshiping crazy kitsch neighbours from Rosemary's Baby. Guaranteed to sell out before the doors open.

£69.99

£39.99

£99.99

£79.99

£229.99

£119.99

£34.99

£79.99

£69.99

£19.99

H&M is facing an investigation into racial discrimination at its stores

 Customers in the fast fashion giant’s Swedish stores are treated differently depending on their ethnicity, according to a new media report

Despite messages of support on their social channels and pledges to ‘do better’ following this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, fashion still has a long way to go when it comes to stamping out systemic racism within its ranks. This week, it was revealed that an investigation into H&M was being launched, after a number of employees working in its Swedish stores were accused of racial discrimination. 

As detailed in an article by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, customers who tried to return or exchange items were treated differently depending on their ethnicity. Despite H&M’s returns policy allowing exchanges without a receipt if the item is currently in stock, one customer from a foreign background was turned away when she tried to swap something. A Swedish-born undercover reporter from the paper, meanwhile, was unchallenged when he attempted to exchange an item without a receipt.

Aftonbladet went on to reveal it had also spoken to a number of current and former H&M employees who offered further examples of racial discrimination against people of colour who were trying to exchange items, with one anonymous employee claiming there is ‘a culture of racism’ in its Swedish branches. 

With Sweden’s equality ombudsman currently looking into the report, H&M has also confirmed it has launched its own investigation into the incident. “We have received information on this matter (from the ombudsman) and will respond to it in accordance with their request for an opinion. It is a matter of course that all customers be treated equally and we take (these) accusations very seriously,” it wrote in a company statement. 

It’s not the first time H&M has been at the centre of a controversy surrounding racism. In 2018, the fast fashion giant was called out for using imagery in which a young Black boy was seen wearing a sweater reading “coolest monkey in the jungle”, which it later apologised for. More recently, in early 2020, the company also suspended a number of employees of H&M and its sister store & Other Stories after they used a racial slur to describe one of its products.

From H&M's 'Coolest Monkey' hoodie to Gucci's 'blackface' jumper - can fashion brands learn from their mistakes?

H&M's 'Coolest Monkey' hoodie

It’s been just over a year since H&M apologised for an advertising image featuring a black boy modelling a hoodie with the slogan “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle”. The Swedish brand issued the following statement at the time: “We have got this wrong and we agree that, even if unintentional, passive or casual racism needs to be eradicated wherever it exists.” Shortly after, the company appointed its first ever global leader for diversity and inclusiveness, Annie Wu.

At the time of the scandal, Wu was H&M’s global manager for employee relations.Born in Taiwan and raised in New York, how did she feel about the Coolest Monkey hoodie? “I think for all of us it was more shock, like everyone else: how could that happen? But then also, how do we then tell the world that this is not who we are, and that it was completely a mistake?”

Gucci's 'blackface' jumper

The demand for a more transparent fashion industry is making it very difficult for brands to make these “mistakes”. It’s not just H&M – Zara, too, has courted controversy in recent years after selling items emblazoned with Pepe the Frog and swastikas, among other missteps. It’s not just the high street either: luxury brands Prada, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana have all had high-profile incidents where, between them, they have managed to alienate more than half the world’s population. Most recently, Gucci apologised for its polo neck jumper and balaclava combo, featuring a cut-out around the mouth outlined with thick red lips that was labelled “Blackface”. “Balaclava knit top by Gucci. Happy Black History Month y’all,” wrote Twitter-user Rashida. It took 10 hours for Gucci to respond, also on Twitter: “We are fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organisation and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond,” read their statement. “If you hire more black people and cultivate an environment where people on all levels of the company feel comfortable to speak up, incidents like this will be avoided,” commented The Glowboss (@VanessaVeasley).

H&M's 'Unemployed' hoodie

But the Coolest Monkey incident was not the first time H&M offended. In November 2017, the company sold a T-shirt with the slogan “Unemployed” on it, which was quickly withdrawn. While Wu agrees that H&M has a “global responsibility” as an employer, she says: “We are still a fashion company, so we do want to push the envelope a little bit to catch these trends and things that still happen.”

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Burberry, H&M and Nike destroy unsold merchandise. An expert explains why

The British luxury brand Burberry brought in $3.6 billion in revenue last year — and destroyed $36.8 million worth of its own merchandise.

In July 2018, the brand admitted in its annual report that demolishing goods was just part of its strategy to preserve its reputation of exclusivity.

Shoppers did not react well to this news. People vowed to boycott Burberry over its wastefulness, while members of Parliament demanded the British government crack down on the practice. The outrage worked: Burberry announced two weeks ago it would no longer destroy its excess product, effective immediately.

Yet Burberry is hardly the only company to use this practice; it runs high to low, from Louis Vuitton to Nike. Brands destroy product as a way to maintain exclusivity through scarcity, but the precise details of who is doing it and why are not commonly publicized. Every now and then, though, bits of information will trickle out. Last year, for example, a Danish TV station revealed that the fast-fashion retailer H&M had burned 60 tons of new and unsold clothes since 2013.

In May 2018, Richemont, the owner of the jewelry and watch brands Cartier, Piaget, and Baume & Mercier, admitted that in an effort to keep its products out of the hands of unauthorized sellers, it had destroyed about $563 million worth of watches over the past two years. Whistleblowing sales associates and eagle-eyed shoppers have pointed out how this practice happens at Urban Outfitters, Walmart, Eddie Bauer, Michael Kors, Victoria’s Secret, and J.C. Penny.

The fashion industry is often cited as one of the world’s worst polluters — but destroying perfectly usable merchandise in an effort to maintain prestige is perhaps the dirtiest secret of them all. To find out why this practice is so widespread and what conservation-minded shoppers can do to fight back, I spoke with Timo Rissanen, an associate dean at Parsons School of Design and a professor of fashion design and sustainability at the school’s Tishman Environment and Design Center. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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H&M to launch collection based on works of William Morris

After training as an architect, William Morris became known for his innovative print designs which transformed the world of decorative arts.

Founding Morris & Co in 1861, his aim was to improve the quality of interior design, but even he couldn’t have known the immense influence he would have on the Arts & Crafts movement, which still informs the work of many of today’s designers.

Going through the archive is the only way to truly admire the craftsmanship behind his classic prints. Originally using block printing techniques, the print would be created layer to layer, each colour taking a day to dry. Nowadays, more cost-effective methods of printing are used to recreate William Morris’s intricate patterns.

The collaboration consists of Morris & Co prints sourced from the vast archive, mixed with the fashion-forward designs of H&M to merge the two brands. Floral and animal prints most familiar in the world of interiors will be making their fashion debuts. The collection includes strong tailoring in its jackets, coats and trousers but takes a more romantic approach with the dress and blouses. Menswear leans to a more minimal approach, with block-letter sweatshirts and mini-print dress shirts.

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