H&M

Founded as the women’s clothing shop Hennes in Västerås by Erling Persson; after buying Mauritz Widforss in 1968 the name became Hennes & Mauritz.

Erling Persson had seen American clothing chains and opened the Hennes shop for women in Västerås. When he bought the hunting and firearms shop Mauritz Widforss, menswear came in and the name became Hennes & Mauritz.

H&M grew into one of the world's largest clothing chains and has collaborated with well-known designers, beginning with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004. The company is still led by the Persson family.

Older labels read Hennes; the red H&M logotype from the 1970s.

• Fashion and accessories