— H&M SS 21 Eco Collection, 2021
ECOnvertible: H&M x Issey Miyake
A Merchandising Case Study
Can fast fashion be sustainable?
In the fall of 2023, I sought to explore this question and rethink how we buy clothing online. My mission? To craft a case study for the Fashion Scholarship Fund competition, tackling textile waste generated by online customer returns at fast-fashion powerhouse H&M. The challenge called for innovative ideas, such as embedding Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) goals into a fashion assortment.
In keeping with H&M's collaborative heritage, I responded with a capsule collection of modular clothing in partnership with Issey Miyake, calling on the designer's pioneering approach to adaptable garment construction. Each capsule piece was designed to be versatile and transformable, empowering wearers to reimagine their wardrobes without permanent alterations.​
Continue on to explore ECOnvertible . . .
THE ASK
Create a sustainable product assortment and merchandising strategy for a fashion retailer, balancing consumer demand, minimizing excess inventory, and aligning with brand identity.
SCHOLARSHIP SPECS
75 SCHOOLS
75 colleges & universities compete nationally.
130 AWARDS
130 scholarships ranging from $7,500-$25,000 awarded (in 2023).
KEY SKILLS
TREND ANALYSIS
CRITIQUE
COPYWRITING
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
+ PHOTOSHOP
RESEARCH
MARKET EVALUATION
Imagine a wardrobe where every piece adapts to your needs, adapting to you while reducing its impact on the planet. This is the vision of ECOnvertible, a direct-to-consumer capsule collaboration between H&M and the legendary Issey Miyake.
Inspired by the ingenuity of Miyake's PLEATS PLEASE line, ECOnvertible reimagines modular fashion for the mainstream, offering versatile garments with no-sew adjustable silhouettes and detachable elements.
Designed for Millennials seeking style, functionality, and sustainability, and incorporating Environmental Sustainable Governance (ESG) principles, ECOnvertibles combats overproduction and waste in the fashion industry by addressing an underlying cause of many customer returns: inconsistent sizing.​
— Issey Miyake, Pleats Please
So, What Is ECOnvertible?
In a world where fast fashion faces mounting scrutiny for its environmental toll, ECOnvertible offers H&M a chance to rewrite the narrative, weaving its legacy of accessibility with Miyake's precision and creativity.
Buy less, wear more.
Four core designs transform into countless combinationa, empowering customers to establish in a new standard for adaptable fashion.
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ECOnvertibles signals the modular revolution pioneered by fashion visionaries like Miyake and positions H&M as a leader in innovative, sustainable fashion solutions where its customers can dress with purpose.
— H&M
ASSORTMENT
Modeled after the classic Issey Miyake pleating technique, ECOnvertible utilizes drawstrings to adjust hemlines and allow pieces to be added to or subtracted from one another. The capsule includes one top, one skirt, one pair of pants and sleeve accessories that can be mixed, matched, and adjusted for a variety of looks, making it a virtually complete wardrobe.
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ECOnvertible seamlessly yields two additional no-sew pieces by simply tying drawstring ends together to create a dress and jumpsuit which still allow for functional size and length adjustments, and effortless, organic silhouettes. Sleeves are also attached in this way.
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CONSUMER SEGMENTATION
Understanding the ECOnvertible target consumer means understanding the consumer beyond clothing preferences.
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With the aid of resources such as Claritas and Statista, Kate emerged as an urban Millenial woman with style curiosity. Demographics were just one piece of the puzzle. To design for Kate, I needed to know what made her tick.
SALES STRATEGY
1
6-MONTH SALES PLAN
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Totaled sales projections ($4.35 million), average inventory ($2.4 million), total markdowns ($1.09 million) & purchases ($8.71 million).​
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Utilized Microsoft Excel formula to calculate sums.
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Employed retail buying skills built in FASH 342: Retail Buying Simulation at VCU.
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SALES ASSUMPTIONS
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56.3% gross margin, consistent with H&M financial trends.
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65% markup and 1.81 product turnover ratio, reflecting industry standards.
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​Bi-monthly reorder schedule with plans for future colorway expansions.
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PRICING STRUCTURE
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All prices end in ".99," matching H&M's standard pricing, even for limited editions and collaborations.
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Ex. ​USD249.99, USD99.99 etc.
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Manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) considers manufacturing costs, markup percentage, and historical pricing for similar collections at H&M.
— Issey Miyake, Pleats Please, 2022
RESEARCH TOOLS
Data Research
STATISTA
Identified key data on consumer purchasing habits, environmental impacts of textile waste, sustainability, etc.
CLARITAS
Explored consumer segments to establish a target market through demographics, geographics & psychographics.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Visited hm.com & H&M Group to examine annual reports, sustainability initiatives & understand current assortments,
AI
Utilized generative AI, such as ThisPersonDoesNotExist to create unique customer visuals.
— H&M
— Issey Miyake, Pleats Please Campaign
CRITIQUE
Consistent feedback and critiques from professors, mentors, industry professionals, and peers provided crucial insights to polish ECOnvertibles.
