Marks & Spencer is set to appear on the London Fashion Week schedule this autumn, joining a lineup that usually features luxury names such as Burberry and Alexander McQueen. The high-street retailer will use the September event to mark 100 years in fashion with a runway presentation of its latest womenswear and menswear ranges.
According to the report, the show is part of a broader effort by M&S to position itself as a stronger fashion destination for mainstream shoppers. Chief executive Stuart Machin said the company wants to present its designs on a global fashion platform, while Laura Weir, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, described the retailer as a long-standing British retail icon with an important place in the country’s cultural and commercial history.
The presentation will be livestreamed for customers watching from home, and the items shown will be available to buy immediately online and in larger stores. That sets it apart from many luxury labels, whose catwalk pieces often do not reach shops for months after the show.
The move reflects a wider turnaround effort at M&S, which has been trying to shed its older image and appeal more strongly to younger fashion shoppers. The company has leaned into trend-led monthly product releases and social media-friendly items, with recent offerings including barrel-leg jeans, mesh jelly shoes and lightweight jackets. Retail consultant Catherine Shuttleworth said the Fashion Week appearance signals growing confidence in the brand’s fashion position.
Source: theguardian.com
