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| A hygge Christmas apart, M&S fashion showcase is all about key pieces A hygge Christmas apart, M&S fashion showcase is all about key pieces | |
| (14 days later) | |
| Technically, the Marks & Spencer fashion showcase is a reveal of hemlines and heel heights, but within two minutes of arriving at the new season preview I am talking feelings with the retailer’s CEO, Steve Rowe. | Technically, the Marks & Spencer fashion showcase is a reveal of hemlines and heel heights, but within two minutes of arriving at the new season preview I am talking feelings with the retailer’s CEO, Steve Rowe. |
| The store’s latest advert stars a Hillary Clinton-esque Mrs Claus saving the (Christmas) day in on-trend hygge knitwear, and includes the most feelgood helicopter moment since James Bond and the Queen flew into the Olympic stadium for the opening ceremony of London 2012. | The store’s latest advert stars a Hillary Clinton-esque Mrs Claus saving the (Christmas) day in on-trend hygge knitwear, and includes the most feelgood helicopter moment since James Bond and the Queen flew into the Olympic stadium for the opening ceremony of London 2012. |
| The advert is a poignant, Sliding Doors vision of the feminist happy ending that 2016 appeared destined to have but didn’t, and Rowe keeps hearing from people who say it made them cry, which we agree is a very good sign. (Rowe, ever mindful of the bottom line, is even more cheered by the fact that the red, sequinned trainers that feature in the ad have done storming business since the advert dropped.) | The advert is a poignant, Sliding Doors vision of the feminist happy ending that 2016 appeared destined to have but didn’t, and Rowe keeps hearing from people who say it made them cry, which we agree is a very good sign. (Rowe, ever mindful of the bottom line, is even more cheered by the fact that the red, sequinned trainers that feature in the ad have done storming business since the advert dropped.) |
| Emotion is never far from the surface at a store which is part of the British national conversation in ways that are about more than its £10bn annual revenue. The public does not care about many FTSE 100 companies in this fashion. So the recent news that it will close 30 stores and convert 45 to being food only was keenly felt by many observers, who interpreted a switch of focus from clothing (first bras, school uniform, affordable cashmere) into the passionless territory of prawn sandwiches and chicken kiev as a sign of an M&S beating a cultural retreat. | Emotion is never far from the surface at a store which is part of the British national conversation in ways that are about more than its £10bn annual revenue. The public does not care about many FTSE 100 companies in this fashion. So the recent news that it will close 30 stores and convert 45 to being food only was keenly felt by many observers, who interpreted a switch of focus from clothing (first bras, school uniform, affordable cashmere) into the passionless territory of prawn sandwiches and chicken kiev as a sign of an M&S beating a cultural retreat. |
| Belinda Earl and Jo Jenkins, the leadership team of the fashion business, issued a flat denial that their part of the company was being squeezed. They argue that forfeit of floor space reflects how customers now shop – 17% of M&S fashion sales are made online, and this is rising – and a commitment across the business to streamlining, so that there is one great pair of velvet trousers on sale rather than three. (Footnote: straight after the meeting, I ordered a pair of the Autograph wide leg velvet trousers, £59, which two of the team were wearing.) “We remain completely committed to clothing, but we need to make space work harder,” Jenkins said. | Belinda Earl and Jo Jenkins, the leadership team of the fashion business, issued a flat denial that their part of the company was being squeezed. They argue that forfeit of floor space reflects how customers now shop – 17% of M&S fashion sales are made online, and this is rising – and a commitment across the business to streamlining, so that there is one great pair of velvet trousers on sale rather than three. (Footnote: straight after the meeting, I ordered a pair of the Autograph wide leg velvet trousers, £59, which two of the team were wearing.) “We remain completely committed to clothing, but we need to make space work harder,” Jenkins said. |
| Note the buzzwords and phrases most often repeated by the team on our tour of the showroom: “edit”, “focus”, and “key details”. Instead of being home to 20 variations on the twinset, the new M&S aims to have a tighter collection of more eye-catching pieces. | Note the buzzwords and phrases most often repeated by the team on our tour of the showroom: “edit”, “focus”, and “key details”. Instead of being home to 20 variations on the twinset, the new M&S aims to have a tighter collection of more eye-catching pieces. |
| Case in point: the new season is strong on simple blouses with interesting sleeve shapes, a feature adopted from catwalk and street style for the M&S customer. “She wants that detail that gives her a reason to buy, but she doesn’t want overcomplicated clothes – a simple body with something happening on the sleeve is flattering and easy to wear,” said Jenkins. | Case in point: the new season is strong on simple blouses with interesting sleeve shapes, a feature adopted from catwalk and street style for the M&S customer. “She wants that detail that gives her a reason to buy, but she doesn’t want overcomplicated clothes – a simple body with something happening on the sleeve is flattering and easy to wear,” said Jenkins. |
| A crisp blue-and-white striped blouse with buttons at the shoulder and fluted sleeves echoes the cult fashion brand Ellery, but for less than £30, while a £65 Autograph hot pink, fashionably loose dress with bell sleeves and back cutout is very Victoria-Beckham-at-JFK (that’s a good thing these days, if you haven’t been paying attention). Prints have been given a much-needed overhaul: a graphic print that nods to Hokusai’s images of Mount Fuji makes for an excellent £35 silk dress. | A crisp blue-and-white striped blouse with buttons at the shoulder and fluted sleeves echoes the cult fashion brand Ellery, but for less than £30, while a £65 Autograph hot pink, fashionably loose dress with bell sleeves and back cutout is very Victoria-Beckham-at-JFK (that’s a good thing these days, if you haven’t been paying attention). Prints have been given a much-needed overhaul: a graphic print that nods to Hokusai’s images of Mount Fuji makes for an excellent £35 silk dress. |
| While most of the collection goes on sale in early 2017, the See Now Buy Now capsule collection introduced for the first time this year continues with an accessory edit that channels next season’s trends but goes on sale immediately. (The £35 cutwork boots, comfortable partywear with the patented technology that M&S have devised to rebalance the foot and make heel-wearing comfortable, are a standout, as are the £45 ankle-tied ballet slippers.) That this puts accessories in the spotlight at a crucial juncture for M&S reflects the way the fashion business is shifting, away from blanket-coverage basics and towards key pieces. My hot tip for next season’s pink coat? A pair of pearl-studded black high-heeled sandals. | While most of the collection goes on sale in early 2017, the See Now Buy Now capsule collection introduced for the first time this year continues with an accessory edit that channels next season’s trends but goes on sale immediately. (The £35 cutwork boots, comfortable partywear with the patented technology that M&S have devised to rebalance the foot and make heel-wearing comfortable, are a standout, as are the £45 ankle-tied ballet slippers.) That this puts accessories in the spotlight at a crucial juncture for M&S reflects the way the fashion business is shifting, away from blanket-coverage basics and towards key pieces. My hot tip for next season’s pink coat? A pair of pearl-studded black high-heeled sandals. |