Clothing care labels reimagined for wellbeing in Topshop x Calm’s Care Sewn In range

Topshop and Topman have released a collection for World Mental Health Day in collaboration with charity Calm (Campaign Against Living Miserably) that sees clothing care labels repurposed for human wellbeing. The 13-piece Care Sewn In collection, conceived by creative agency Havas, features oversized care labels on the outsides of the garments, on which the ubiquitous washing and maintenance instructions are replaced with tips for self-care.

The monochromatic designs stay true to the aesthetic of universally recognisable labels found in all clothes, using the rectangular boxes and care symbols but giving the icons new meaning. The hand-wash-only symbol is captioned “Don’t handle problems on your own”; a statement next to the iron icon says “Talk to to a mate to iron them out”; and finally, the no-tumble-dry symbol is accompanied by the question: “Completely spun out? Call Calm.” Details for how to contact Calm follow.

This forms part of Let What’s Inside Out, a Calm campaign by Havas to stimulate conversation around young people opening up, hoping to promote mental wellbeing. It launches with a campaign film directed by John Ogunmuyiwa through Unit9 and Big Buoy, which Havas says brings to life “both the feeling of internal chaos that comes from bottling up your feelings, and the relief that comes from letting what’s inside out”.

Care Sewn In comprises T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts, with small illustrated and text-based motifs on the front – for example a heart made from boxing gloves, an ear and mouth in conversation, or statements such as “Express Yourself” and “Talk talk talk” – and the Calm care labels on the back. And £5 from every garment sold will go to fund Calm’s suicide-prevention helpline and webchat.