Podcast Summary
Insights from Helena Hellmossen, CEO of H&M, on fashion trends: Fashion is evolving with a focus on sustainability, local trends, and personal expression. Trends lean towards relaxed tailoring, global influences, and individuality.
The fashion industry is evolving, with a focus on sustainability, local trends, and personal expression. Helena Hellmossen, the CEO of H&M, shared insights on these topics during her interview on the In Good Company podcast. She emphasized the importance of color and celebration after the pandemic, with trends leaning towards more relaxed tailoring and global influences. However, she also noted that trends are becoming more local and personal, allowing individuals to express themselves through their clothing choices. Overall, the fashion industry is adapting to the changing times, with a greater emphasis on community, personal style, and sustainability.
Adapting to local markets while maintaining sustainability and ethical labor practices: CEOs must balance profitability with ethical labor practices and sustainability to create positive social impact and secure the industry's future. Adapt collections, colors, and store formats to meet local needs while prioritizing circularity and reuse of clothing.
In today's business landscape, being locally relevant is crucial for brands, especially those like TES that are becoming more local. This means adapting collections, colors, and store formats to meet the needs of specific markets. For CEOs, having a strong sustainability focus can set them apart and make their leadership more meaningful. Balancing profitability with ethical labor practices and sustainability is a challenge, but it's essential for creating positive social impact and securing the industry's future. The fashion industry's current system is not sustainable, and circularity and reuse of clothing are key to creating a more sustainable future. The CEO's background in leading sustainability operations at H&M, coupled with her experience living in Bangladesh, has given her a unique perspective on the importance of these issues. Overall, the conversation highlighted the need for companies to adapt to local markets while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical labor practices.
Circularity in Fashion: Reusing Fibers and Fabrics: Circularity is a key strategy for reducing fashion industry's reliance on natural resources and CO2 emissions through reusing fibers and fabrics, ensuring longevity of garments, and investing in circular solutions and resale platforms.
Circularity is a crucial strategy for the fashion industry to reduce its reliance on natural resources and CO2 emissions. This approach involves reusing fibers and fabrics, as well as ensuring the longevity of garments through resale or recycling. Circularity can help decouple fashion industry growth from the use of natural resources. However, it presents challenges such as obtaining feedstock for recycling and adapting to digitalization and competition. Despite these challenges, companies like H&M are investing in circular solutions and resale platforms to grow sustainably and maintain their competitive edge in the fashion industry.
Embracing physical and digital marketing, sustainability, and creativity: Successful fashion brands use a combination of physical and digital marketing, prioritize sustainability, and foster creativity to engage customers.
Successful fashion brands are embracing both physical and digital marketing channels to reach customers, while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability and creativity. Empowering teams with clear roles and aligned goals is crucial for large organizations to move quickly and adapt to the complex and competitive fashion industry. Social media and physical stores remain important channels, but the key is to effectively engage customers within the brand's unique sphere. The values of empowerment, speed, and collaboration are essential for organizations undergoing transformation and growth. When leaders see their teams making progress and successfully implementing plans, they experience a sense of fulfillment and flow in their work. Ultimately, the most enjoyable aspect of the job is connecting with teams across production and sales countries.
Helena's Love for Fashion and Sustainability: Industry veteran Helena values fashion as a form of self-expression and joy, and sees the industry's potential to make a positive impact. She emphasizes following passions, staying present in nature, and staying true to values.
Helena, an industry veteran with a deep love for fashion and sustainability, sees the industry as a powerful force for good. With a career spanning over 25 years, she has been instrumental in growing a fashion and design company and adapting to industry changes, including the trend towards nearshoring. Helena expresses her passion for fashion as a means of self-expression and joy, and she values the industry's potential to make a positive impact. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of following one's passion and staying present in nature for mental relaxation. As for the future of the fashion industry, Helena believes that competition drives innovation and that Norway, with its long history of sustainable fashion, will continue to be an important player. For students and young professionals, she advises following their passions and staying true to their values in their careers.
Choosing the Right Company is Crucial for Personal Satisfaction and Growth: Consider both the employer's selection and your own comfort and alignment with the company's culture and mission for personal satisfaction and growth.
When considering employment opportunities, it's essential not only to allow the employer to select you but also to choose a company where you feel comfortable being yourself and align with the culture and mission. This decision, while able to be changed throughout your career, is crucial for personal satisfaction and growth. Helena emphasized this point during our conversation, sharing her own experiences and the importance of making a deliberate choice. We appreciated Helena's insights on sustainability and her dedication to enhancing the world around us. Thank you, Helena, for sharing your wisdom and for all the positive contributions you've made.
