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H&M just got really into art and dug through the Louvre archives to find inspiration for its next big thing. Basically, they're every sophomore in college ever.
The Swedish brand says they're trying to merge the old and the new by taking inspiration from haute couture pieces from the past 300 years, the results of which are extravagant ball gowns and delicate lace wedding dresses — the kind you imagined in Pride & Prejudice, sophomore year of high school — updated for today.
Prints appear to have been taken straight off the walls of the world's most famous museum. One dress features the "Three Graces" scene from Botticelli's "Primavera" while another is printed head-to-toe with a vivid floral pattern inspired by painter Gustave Moreau.
"The collection combines layers of artistic references, shapes and textures, and is topped off with highly decorative accessories and deco-inspired bijoux," says H&M's creative director Ann-Sofie Johansson.
Maybe best of all, the collection is made of sustainable materials like organic silk, hemp, recycled linen, Tencel® blends, and Denimite, which is made out of recycled worn-out denim. H&M is the first fashion company to work with Denimite.
The H&M Conscious Exclusive collection will launch on April 7th to coincide with the opening of "Fashion Forward: 300 Years of Fashion" at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, an event that H&M is exclusively sponsoring.