Joan Collins declared the coats “very chic”, and has her eye on a graceful ivory evening dress with caped shoulders. Kemi Badenoch plans to snap up the classic black tuxedo jacket. If the British public are as enthusiastic as the celebrity front row, Marks & Spencer’s first ever London fashion week catwalk looks like a hit.
The show, held at the Design Museum for ۳۱۰ guests including Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher, was a gamble on both sides. Would snobby fashionistas be traumatised by elasticated waistbands and practical rainwear? Would M&S customers be alienated by a world of £۲,۰۰۰ handbags and shoes you can’t walk in?
The style message was “fashion with a small f, not a capital F”, said the M&S womenswear director, Maddy Evans. The look was new enough to be compelling (sharp kilts instead of flouncy tiered skirts, low-rise slouchy denim replacing mom jeans), but pitched at a before-the-watershed comfort level. A judicious amount of catwalk theatre was added with some sauce (a very short skirt, the odd semi-visible nipple) and a little zeitgeisty styling (faux fur stoles, Charli xcx-adjacent sunglasses).
The real stunner is the price. All the clothes in this collection went on sale as the show began on Friday, with half of the pieces under £۵۰. The most expensive, a leather coat, will retail for £۴۵۰. The message – that catwalk style is for everyone – is a win for London fashion week, which has struggled to feel relevant to real lives as designer prices have soared during a cost of living crisis.
As a vision of where our wardrobes are going next, the collection will not give Phoebe Philo or Jonathan Anderson any sleepless nights. M&S is not seeking to define the next vibe shift. Instead, they picked up on the currents that make a wardrobe look contemporary: a colour palette of neutrals with pops of red (for men, as well as women) and a shift toward outfits built from separates over dresses. Menswear featured a classic grey office suit – worn, in a witty casting touch, by scowling nepo-rocker Lennon Gallagher – and centrist-dad chore jackets.
M&S are now ranked in second place in style perception, behind Zara. “That’s exactly where we want to be”, said Evans. “Zara are the cutting edge of fashion, and we are fashion for everybody.”
Many pieces felt intentionally familiar, with nods to the archives to celebrate the centenary of fashion being sold at M&S. There was a twinset, reworked as a cardigan over a knitted camisole, and a sage-green lace two-piece set which nodded to the proud history of M&S lingerie. Models of a broad range of ages and body sizes “were chosen to reflect our ۲۳ million customers”, said Evans.
After the show, Wright caught up with Carragher as a fashion week version of an M&S “picky tea” was served: smoked salmon finger sandwiches and champagne on silver trays.
The show was a bold statement about how M&S sees itself, reflecting resurgent style confidence after fashion hits that have included suede loafers that could pass for Saint Laurent and a sellout collaboration with Bella Freud.
M&S is not the only big name giving the London schedule fresh momentum and a renewed sense of occasion this season. McQueen is returning to London after showing in Paris, while Christopher Kane – one of the city’s most beloved and influential designers – is making a keenly anticipated return to the catwalk with a new job at Mulberry.
Fashion editor’s top picks
Double-breasted tuxedo jacket, £۸۵
Modern party-dressing made simple. Double-breasted shape and satin peak labels bring just enough drama. Machine washable!
Ivory satin party dress, £۸۹
Crepe-back satin (one side matt, one side glossy) is the kind of high-end fabric you do not often find on the high street. Kimono sleeves and a train for real wow factor. Also comes in black.
Sequin fringe skirt, £۵۰
Swishy! The personality skirt is big in fashion and with gold sequins and silk fringing, this has main character energy.
Red half zip sweater, £۴۰
From tech bros to pop stars, everyone is in a half-zip. The ketchup red is fun.
Leather jacket with borg collar, £۲۵۰
Vintage-styled pilot’s jacket, in tobacco leather with a cream shawl collar and waist tabs.
