COS launches Restore collection to save damaged garments

COS is instilling a circular supply chain. The H&M Group-owned brand has launched a new line called Restore, focusing on repairing and re-purposing unsellable clothing items.

For its first Restore collection, COS and the H&M Group's Laboratory partnered with The Renewal Workshop, a provider of circular solutions for textile brands. COS sourced pieces from its own supply chain or returned items from customers, which were then mended and cleaned by The Renewal Workshop to bring them up to a quality suitable for sale.

The Renewal Workshop operates under a goal for sustainability and circularity. Its cleaning process utilizes a waterless technology that saves water and aligns with these goals.

"We have a big responsibility with the scale and impact we currently have on the environment and this test is one example of many where we are exploring new solutions," Lauren Coppen of The Laboratory said in a statement. "It is essential we ideate new solutions for a lower impact on our environment whilst offering customers quality, beautiful products that last."

Restore allows COS to extend the lifespan of its products. The pilot collection of the line will launch on September 4, and will only be available in limited edition quantities in COS stores located in Berlin, Stockholm and Utrecht.