H&M Group-owned & Other Stories has announced the appointment of Diane von Furstenberg designer Jonathan Saunders as Chief Creative Officer, effective mid-2025.
& Other Stories Names Jonathan Saunders Chief Creative Officer
Scottish fashion designer Jonathan Saunders, an alumnus of Glasgow School of Art and Central Saint Martins, has rich experience in creative direction and has previously held positions as chief creative officer at Diane von Furstenberg and creative director at Pollini. He worked as a consultant for Calvin Klein, Tiffany & Co., Chloé, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Pucci, and Marc Jacobs. And, his eponymous label was recognised for its use of colour and print, until it shuttered in 2015.
Creativity is at the core of & Other Stories, and this appointment reinforces the fashion brand’s dedication to continuously evolving and strengthening the creative direction. ”I am excited to be working with & Other Stories and the H&M Group on this new chapter for the brand”, confirmed Saunders who is acclaimed for his design aesthetic, brand vision and ability to shape modern collections. ”I think that thoughtful, expressive design that is also accessible, is powerful in this fast-evolving industry.”
“Jonathan brings a sophisticated blend of creativity and passion,” says Lina Söderqvist, managing director of & Other Stories. “His commitment and creative leadership, combined with a deep understanding of contemporary fashion, will be key to the brand’s next phase.”
His appointment comes on the heels of a high-fashion collaboration between & Other Stories and London-based label Roksanda, which will drop in May 2025. The limited-edition collection explores ‘art, architecture, and femininity’ according to a release. ‘Each piece is intended to provide a sense of protection and strength, empowering women to feel confident while embracing their femininity.’
& Other Stories
H&M-owned fashion brand & Other Stories was launched in 2013, and retails a selection of ready-to-wear, bags, fashion accessories, beauty products and footwear. The brand has brick-and-mortar and online stores in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.
“It all started with a question,” explains Samuel Fernström, General Manager, & Other Stories. “What might a new cosmetics brand within the H&M family look like? As the idea took shape, we soon realised we wanted to find a new way of giving the customer an entire look – the accessories, the shoes, the bags… So we started sketching out the idea of a brand dedicated to women who are into creating their own style, in charge of curating their entire personal look. The beauty products would be just one part of this fashion collection, and the customer would be able to find all of it in one place.”
Samuel continues: “We soon realised, however, that offering diversity in the way we wanted meant setting up design ateliers in different places, with different kinds of designers being inspired by different things. At first Stockholm, Tokyo, New York, and Berlin were on the shortlist, but the final choice was Stockholm and Paris. Our designs from Paris tell a story of femininity that can be quirky and eclectic on the one hand, and elegant and feminine on the other. The signature of our Stockholm atelier is more minimalist with sharply tailored pieces, merged with innovative Scandinavian elements. Mixing the collections allows the customer to create her own, personal style.”
Ebba Kettner was recruited to the team from H&M in 2010 to work with the brand design. “Every single thing within our brand needs to feel personal and unique. Using a hand-drawn logo was just the beginning. Our bags have turned into a collector’s item thanks to the ‘colour dip’ concept, which we update to align with current trends. It’s the same with our hangtags and other material. Take the trolley tables in the stores, for example. Inspired by the backstage areas at fashion shows.”
& Other Stories now has more than thirty stores, with more planned. What does the name “& Other Stories” actually mean?“There has always been talk about “stories” in the world of fashion, and early on we had this idea that the customers would be able to “tell their own story” with us,” explains Samuel Fernström. “From that starting point, we ended up with an expression that writers use to name collections of short stories, where you write out the title of the first story and then continue with “& Other Stories”…”
H&M Group reports progress on sustainability goals in 2024
H&M Group recently reported progress in its strategic priority areas in 2024, advancing the decarbonisation of its supply chain and the use of lower impact materials.
“I am proud of the steps we have taken to demonstrate that exceptional design and sustainable solutions go hand in hand with our purpose to liberate fashion for the many,” says Daniel Ervér, CEO, H&M Group. “This report shows the result of the work of thousands of passionate colleagues around the world, united not only by our love for fashion and design, but also by our deep commitment to using our power and scale to push the fashion industry towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.”
“We are on track to achieve our goal for all our materials to be either recycled or sustainably sourced no later than 2030, and we almost reached our 30 percent goal for recycled materials by 2025 a year ahead of schedule,” says Leyla Ertur, Sustainability Director, H&M Group. “Our efforts to use less and cleaner energy across our supply chain are also delivering strong results in our decarbonisation journey, aligned with our science-based targets.”
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
