The Heritage
The Story of & Other Stories
& Other Stories is a contemporary fashion label that grew out of the H&M Group’s desire to offer a curated mix of clothing, accessories, beauty and fragrance. The brand opened its first stores in 2013 and now operates in more than 30 countries. In 2022 it introduced a fragrance line that blends the label’s editorial sensibility with the expertise of established perfumers. The collection includes scents such as Perfect Pistachio, Pink Noon, Punk Bouquet and Forest Haze, each presented in sleek glass bottles that echo the brand’s minimalist aesthetic. & Other Stories positions itself as a creative playground where design, storytelling and sustainable practice intersect.
Heritage
The H&M Group launched & Other Stories in Stockholm in 2013 as a sister brand to COS and Monki. The name reflects the label’s commitment to offering a range of styles that sit alongside each other, encouraging customers to mix and match. Early stores featured a boutique‑like layout, with dedicated sections for clothing, shoes, accessories and a small beauty corner. By 2015 the brand expanded to London, Paris and New York, quickly gaining a reputation for runway‑inspired pieces at accessible price points. In 2018 the company opened its first flagship on London’s Regent Street, a space that combined retail with a workshop for in‑house designers. The brand’s sustainability agenda took shape that same year, with a pledge to use recycled or sustainably sourced materials in at least 50 % of its collections by 2025. In 2020 & Other Stories introduced a dedicated beauty line, partnering with independent cosmetics labs to create makeup that mirrors its fashion colour palette. The fragrance program debuted in 2022, a collaboration that brought together Ben Gorham, founder of Byredo, and veteran perfumer Azzi. The first four releases – Perfect Pistachio, Pink Noon, Punk Bouquet and Forest Haze – arrived in limited‑edition bottles designed by Swedish graphic studio Kungsfors. The launch was supported by pop‑up scent stations in flagship stores, allowing shoppers to experience the olfactory narrative alongside the visual one. In 2023 the brand announced a partnership with the Swedish Environmental Research Institute to trace the origin of key aroma ingredients, reinforcing its transparency goals. Throughout its first decade, & Other Stories has opened more than 150 stores worldwide, while maintaining a digital platform that offers curated editorial content, style guides and behind‑the‑scenes videos of its design process.
Craftsmanship
The fragrance development process begins with a brief that describes an emotion, a place or a colour palette. Ben Gorham and Azzi translate that brief into a raw accord, testing dozens of variations in a lab in Paris. Once a base formula emerges, the team sources individual ingredients from certified farms in France, Italy and Madagascar, prioritising suppliers that hold Fair Trade or organic certifications. The brand conducts third‑party lab analyses to verify purity and to ensure that no prohibited substances appear in the final blend. After the scent reaches a stable formulation, Swedish glassmakers craft the bottles using recycled glass, a practice that reduces carbon emissions by roughly 30 % compared with new glass. The caps are made from reclaimed aluminum, and each bottle receives a matte‑finished label printed with soy‑based inks. Production runs stay limited to maintain quality control; each batch undergoes a sensory panel review before release. The brand also documents the supply chain for each ingredient, making the information available to consumers via QR codes on the packaging. This transparency aligns with the label’s broader sustainability pledge and gives shoppers confidence that the fragrance was created responsibly.
Design Language
Visual identity for & Other Stories balances clean lines with a touch of vintage charm. The logo features a simple ampersand followed by a sans‑serif wordmark, set in a muted charcoal tone that works across print, digital and storefront signage. Store interiors combine raw concrete floors, light‑wood fixtures and soft‑glowing pendant lights, creating a gallery‑like atmosphere. The fragrance bottles echo this aesthetic: clear, rounded glass with a thin, brushed‑metal cap, and a label that uses a thin, off‑white typeface reminiscent of old‑world catalogues. Seasonal campaigns showcase models in natural settings – forests, urban rooftops, seaside cliffs – photographed with soft, diffused lighting that emphasizes texture over flashiness. Graphic assets often incorporate hand‑drawn illustrations of botanical elements, linking the scent’s ingredients to their visual representation. The overall image conveys a sense of curated simplicity, inviting customers to explore the brand’s layers without feeling overwhelmed.
Philosophy
The label treats fashion as a story that unfolds each season. Its creative brief asks designers to imagine a scene – a rainy afternoon in Berlin, a sunrise over the Baltic Sea – and then translate that mood into fabrics, silhouettes and colour. The fragrance team applies the same method, turning a memory or a feeling into a scent composition. Sustainability sits at the core of the brand’s values; every collection includes a proportion of recycled polyester, organic cotton or responsibly sourced leather. & Other Stories also embraces inclusivity, offering a wide size range and gender‑neutral pieces that invite personal interpretation. The brand’s editorial platform, published on its website, showcases interviews with artists, writers and makers, reinforcing the idea that style is linked to culture and conversation. By keeping design cycles short, the label can respond quickly to emerging trends while still preserving a sense of timelessness in its core pieces.
Key Milestones
2013
H&M Group launches & Other Stories in Stockholm as a multi‑category fashion label.
2015
First international stores open in London, Paris and New York, expanding the brand’s global footprint.
2018
Flagship store opens on Regent Street, London; sustainability pledge announced to reach 50 % recycled or responsibly sourced materials by 2025.
2020
Dedicated beauty line debuts, featuring makeup formulated with independent labs.
2022
Fragrance collection launches with four scents created in collaboration with Ben Gorham and perfumer Azzi.
2023
Partnership with the Swedish Environmental Research Institute begins to trace the origin of key aroma ingredients.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Sweden
Founded
2013
Heritage
13
Years active
Collection
4
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.4
Community sentiment