H&M began as Hennes in 1947 as a women's clothing store in Sweden. In 1968, Mauritz Widforss acquired Hennes and renamed it Hennes & Mauritz (H&M). Since then, H&M has grown to over 3,000 stores in 53 countries. H&M pioneered collaborations with high-end designers to make their designs more affordable, partnering with names like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, and more. H&M emphasizes sustainability through initiatives like garment collecting and using organic and recycled materials in clothing.