Nationwide — Brittany Sierra, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Forum, has called out H&M after the fashion retailer used the same name for an event organized by its investment division. The company later apologized and admitted that using the name was a mistake, following concerns that it had taken the name of a platform she spent nearly a decade building.
The controversy started on Oct. 22, when H&M Group Ventures hosted an event in Stockholm titled “Sustainable Fashion Forum #1 – The Inspirational Session.” According to Atlanta Black Star, Sierra said the company was already familiar with her work, as H&M employees had attended her conferences, participated in its programs, and subscribed to its content. She also claimed that the company had previously discussed a potential partnership with her organization, making the decision to use the same name particularly frustrating.
The timing of the event added to her concerns. It was held just one week before her own annual Sustainable Fashion Forum, scheduled for Oct. 29 and 30. Sierra also questioned the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, pointing out the limited number of Black women working in sustainable fashion. She said she had spent years using her own money, time, and resources to establish the conference and build relationships across the industry, without the financial support available to larger companies.
She also brought up a sponsorship arrangement that she said had never been fulfilled. According to Sierra, H&M agreed to provide $20,000 toward her conference the previous year and requested an invoice, but she never received the promised payment. She also recalled that someone from the company’s leadership team had offered to mentor her as an entrepreneur. In a follow-up social media post, she said the latest incident reflected years of struggling to gain recognition and opportunities in an industry where she felt her ideas were receiving attention without the same support being extended to her. The experience even made her question whether she wanted to remain in the fashion business.
H&M addressed the criticism after Atlanta Black Star requested a statement. The company said its investment division organized the Stockholm gathering to bring together businesses in its portfolio and allow them to exchange ideas about developments in the fashion industry. However, it acknowledged that using the conference’s name was a mistake. “Though colleagues from H&M’s Group Ventures arm have never had conversations with Brittany Sierra or the Sustainable Fashion Forum, we acknowledge that we made a mistake in naming the event, and we are deeply sorry,” the company said. It added that it had begun removing the name from its materials and had contacted Sierra directly to apologize. The company also maintained that employees from its investment division had never spoken with her or her organization.
The retailer also challenged her account of the $20,000 sponsorship. H&M said its U.S. team had agreed more than a year earlier to sponsor an in-person event and had received an invoice. However, the company claimed Sierra later informed the team that the event had been canceled and the invoice voided. It said its records showed no unpaid sponsorship invoices involving the conference. H&M added that it had reached out several times to discuss the disagreement and clear up what it described as misunderstandings, but had not received a response. While the company acknowledged its mistake in using the name, the two sides offered different accounts of what happened with the proposed sponsorship.