If you have looked up in your local M&S recently you will have noticed that there has been a sea change at the once staid retailer. No longer a graveyard of school uniforms and new knickers, their fashion department has lurched forwards and, having seen their new autumn collection — the first of which launches today, it is set on an upwardly chic trajectory. The stats are great (in May, M&S announced pre-tax profits up 41 per cent to £672.5 million, with clothing and home sales up 5.3 per cent) and the clothes, though sometimes lingering in knock-off purgatory, hit every trending point.
M&S
Maddy Evans, womenswear director (formerly of Topshop), has been credited as the woman behind its stylish renaissance. “We’re trying to focus on modern mainstream — less about age, more about attitude,” she says. While the target customer is 35 to 50, Evans stresses “ we don’t want to alienate any of our customers — we just want to broaden the appeal.” As for what to buy this season, these are the pieces to add to your basket (before the rest do):
The word is M&S cannot keep their animal print products on the shelves. Whether that’s a scarf, ankle boot, boyfriend jean or trench coat, all of which are coming in leopard this AW24 drop. People (who have likely caught the wild-printed bug from Copenhagen label Ganni) are set on leaning in. It figures; at the end of August, Google searches for leopard jeans were up 2,899 per cent. Do not buy if you want to stand out.
Leopard coat, £79
M&S
The key trend from the Paris collections for AW24 was all things bohemian, mostly thanks to the “new” Chloe designed by its incoming creative director Chemena Kamali. It is a look best summed up as Sienna Miller in a floaty dress. M&S already capitalised on this buzz with a Miller-designed capsule in summer. It continues at Jaeger, which M&S bought for £6 million in 2021, for the colder months. “There are notes of femininity — the ruffled dress and blouse, which is a nod to the boho,” says Suzi Avens, head of Jaeger. Elsewhere, it’s Jaeger’s masculine edge that’s flying. Their top seller is a Liam Gallagher-style parka trench (£175, marksandspencer.com) which dropped last week and has become the fastest selling product from Jaeger since M&S bought it. “It’s selling like hot cakes — we bought a chunky volume because we knew it would be good, but it has far exceeded our expectations. It’s functional and stylish.”
Jaeger top, £89
Jaeger
The M&S brigade are very excited about their denim — and, admittedly, rightly so. In one season they increased from a 12 per cent market share of denim sales to 18 per cent. Figures, then, that this is the key focus for AW24. There is a hot cut for everyone: from carrot legs to horseshoe and a particularly festive sparkled studded pair. Their bestseller right now (holding front-of-shop at outlets across town) has been a new shoelace tie blue pair, which are all but sold out. The advice: if you try a pair you like, buy them there and then.
Jeans, £39.50
M&S
The statement leather jacket
At the upmarket Autograph line (“the customer exit point,” says Evans, meaning most expensive), leather is the “important go-to for the customer”. While sales in this section have focussed on premium basics before (the perfect white T-shirt and smart work trouser), Evans explains they are pushing to promote more interesting pieces. “Not in a way that’s trend lead, but we are modernising the offer from where we previously had it,” she says. Enter the Midnight Cowboy fringed leather jacket. At £299, the leather is butter soft and tassels extra-long for maximum impact. For later in the year, there is an Autograph sequin-panel skirt (which is very Prada) paired with shocking teal-tinsel sweaters — certainly a twist for those after their M&S Christmas party look.
Fringe leather jacket, £299
M&S
Silver was the undisputed street style king last year — one pair of silver metallic slacks in particular. “This is a bring back from a bestseller we had in silver last year,” says Evans, pulling a soft-to-touch pair of straight legged leather trousers from the rail. “We are backing gold this year — not in a bright, tarnishy way, but a prettier, softer shade.” They have styled them with a £179 trench coat, and it’s a more than achievable look. There is also a gold trainer not dissimilar to shiny styles from Loewe or Onitsuka Tiger, available for those wanting a jolly pop.
Metallic trousers, £199
M&S