H&M's Monki joins Zalora as group unveils most recycled denim collection yet

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 3, 2021

H&M Group had lots of news this week with the firm’s CEO and its sustainability ambassador both taking part in the Fashion Future conference, its Monki brand joining the Zalora platform, and the launch of its most recycled denim collection yet.

Its youth-focused Monki brand is expanding its online presence to Southeast Asia. The label already has six stores in Malaysia and two in the Philippines and the company clearly sees the market as an important one with the move onto a platform that’s a key player in online fashion retail in the region.

The launch also allows the brand to move into Singapore for the first time. 

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Monki will be available on Zalora from late September in the Philippines, followed by Malaysia and Singapore later this autumn.

The company has also unveiled its autumn recycled denim collection (which was worn by sustainability ambassador Maisie Williams for her virtual participation in the Fashion Future event). It’s H&M’s “most recycled collection to date” and features baggy jeans, loose straight-leg jeans, a trucker jacket and an oversized overshirt, along with a bucket hat and shopper — all inspired by “the laidback coolness of the 1990s by playing with looser silhouettes”.

It’s made out of 100% recycled fabrics, threads, labels and pocketing, and partly out of recycled metal zippers and trims. Also, its washing technique has a low environmental impact and is free from harmful chemicals.

Launching on September 9 (or early next year in the southern hemisphere), there’s a focus on patchwork details and 90s denim washes – vintage light blue, normcore mid-blues, dark vintage blues, vintage blacks and cool grey.

Finally, CEO Helena Helmersson joined Maisie Williams to discuss the direction of fashion by video link and particularly the post-pandemic path for the fashion industry.

They said the way forward “will require ingenuity, creativity, tech innovation and new business models to engage with customers in inspiring ways”.

The pair also said sustainability is an ongoing challenge and that influencers, companies and governments need to come together around a common goal. If they do, “we can do almost anything”.

And they believe “creativity and technology are key”. Citing tech in particular, Helmersson pointed to such innovations as the group’s 3D body scanner or the Looop machine in Stockholm. This offers customers the possibility to transform unwanted garments into new fashion favourites, visualising the textile-to-textile recycling process that’s usually behind the scenes.