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We took these pictures just before the COVID lockdown in Latvia – pictures with the new HM Conscious Exclusive collection for 2020. A collection inspired by life on the French Riviera. A collection inspired by wine making, coffee, recycled glass, and other materials.

It was long before the lockdown that I saw this stunning collection and got an idea of how I would take the pictures: one at my favorite French cafe Sienna, another on the beach, a few others at Kalve Coffee Roastery. I had every detail planned in my head when BOOM!– the crisis arrived. I could not sleep, trying to figure out how to make my vision come true. We did not go to the beach because it was suddenly cold: -1 degrees (life did not want us to be outside anymore). We did not go to Sienna because it was still an open place for the public. We went to Kalve Coffee Roastery because it was already closed to the public. I woke up and did my hair. I put my make-up on (usually a task I leave to the professionals). My husband took pictures (thank God he is a photographer). It was one of the last “out of the house” activities we did. And that is why I cherish these pictures even more.

I adore this new collection for two reasons – the beauty and the materials used. As mentioned before, they use coffee, grapes, and many more new and sustainable materials. Next to the new recycled polyester RENU™, I love the new material VEGEA™ (material madepartly withby-products fromwinemaking in whichgrape skins, stalks, and seeds are turned into an alternative to leather). The light brown color of the top is obtained from a mixture of water and re-brewed coffee grounds (collected from HM offices). CIRCULOSE® is a natural material harvested from worn-out denim and other used textiles (no forests and cotton fields). And there is more.

We had plans to make a dinner: I wanted to make a blue pea powder panna cotta dedicated to the blue dress. The tops with black ribbons are colored with coffee, which gave me dozens of recipe ideas to make a dessert with coffee. For the green tones in the clothes, I had a pumpkin granola in mind. It was all planned out when life changed, unexpectedly leaving me with pictures and beautiful memories. No plans to publish or anything else. But I wanted to share. Enjoy.