Olivia Wilde revealed as the face of H&M Conscious Exclusive

Eco is in! With the appreciation of sustainability and environmental issues continually on the rise, high street giant H&M has been facing the movement head on since 2011 when it released its eco-friendly range, The Conscious Collection.

“At H&M, we have set ourselves the challenge of ultimately making fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable. We want to help people express their personality and feel proud of what they wear. I’m very excited to see the progress we’ve made so far and how this will help us to make you an even better offer – and create a more sustainable fashion future,” says Karl-Johan Persson, H&M’s CEO. 

Now, they have enlisted actress-turned-model Olivia Wilde to front their latest campaign, similarly named, Conscious Exclusive – a lady with a love for eco-friendly apparel. The Tron: Legacy actress said: “Sustainability is one of my biggest passions. I’m proud to be the face of H&M Conscious Exclusive, a collection which shows the stylishness of sustainability.”

“Sustainability has got a bad reputation, especially in fashion,” Wilde explained. “I think people assume the clothes will be dull, the fabrics uncomfortable and the design uninspiring. It’s like people think sustainability is a penance. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and the H&M Conscious Exclusive collection shows that sustainability is no compromise on style.”  The 31-year-old is the co-founder of Conscious Commerce, a website committed to encouraging and ensuring a high standard of fair-trade practices. Olivia feels “it should be shocking when a product isn’t somehow helping the people who made it”.

Materials for the exclusive line are comprised of hemp, organic linen, silk and leather, and recycled polyester. The line includes such sustainable garments as an organic silk tuxedo blazer, a hand-painted linen and silk skirt and dresses featuring hand-drawn prints – with inspiration drawn from African, Asian and Indian cultures. The collection is due for release online and into 200 stores worldwide on 16^th April 2015.

Emily Harris

Watch Olivia behind the scenes of the campaign shoot here.