I first knew something had shifted at M&S when I found myself on an hour-long quest to Colliers Wood to find the brand’s last remaining pair of leopard-print jeans. As I sat on the packed Northern line questioning my sanity, it became very clear to me that the M&S fashion offering was now desirable – desirable enough for impromptu trips to far-off suburbs. My efforts were rewarded: the trousers were as every bit as great as I’d hoped, flattering, versatile and with a hint of Anita Pallenberg, all for the budget-friendly price of £45.
Over the past few years, M&S fashion has quietly undergone a reinvention. The dependable, but not always stylish, brand is now firmly back in the wardrobes of editors and tastemakers, and the autumn/winter 2024 mainline collection is peppered with fuss-free, covetable pieces that nod to the zeitgeist without feeling transient. Indeed, the brand’s Interims 2024 report revealed that its womenswear category had reached its highest market share for 10 years (8.5 per cent), while general clothing and home sales were up 4.7 per cent, based on figures over the past six months. Its denim has been particularly popular with its carrot, palazzo and animal-print wide-leg styles all selling out. The brand’s heritage wool check trench coat and studded ballet pumps have also been commercial hits.
These figures will surprise no one who has recently visited an M&S store, or who has been enticed by its recent acclaimed collaborations with Sienna Miller and Bella Freud. Although it has long been a trusted British high-street brand, the chain lacked sartorial finesse – that sparkle that makes us reach for our debit cards. But times have changed and M&S has since become the place to go for versatile, quality wardrobe heroes that look more expensive than they are. “Nobody was more surprised than me when I bought a black lace skirt from M&S, priced at just £39.50,” says Bazaar‘s global fashion director Avril Mair. “I don’t ever buy fast fashion and I find high-street lace tricky. But this was perfect – amazing quality, without that horrible sheen you sometimes find on cheaper fabric, and a great, flattering fit.”
The Heritage Check Trench
It’s not just a surface-level glow-up though; M&S still caters for everyone, regardless of age and size.“Everyone is eulogising M&S and now I understand why,” adds Mair. “It’s well-designed but not over-complicated, accessible and has the most diverse sizing – from a 6-24, in three lengths – which really is something to celebrate. My skirt feels like a premium luxury piece and has the kind of refined aesthetic you’d expect from a brand like Joseph.”
The M&S style reinvention has been four years in the making with a strategy that focused on getting closer to customers who were demanding modernity without sacrificing the quality that the brand is known for. Driving its new fashion viewpoint is the brand’s womenswear design division, led by Maddy Evans, who joined as head of buying in 2019 from Topshop. She was made womenswear director in 2022. “While we lead in the market for quality and value, we had work to do to be considered a stylish brand – and not just for wardrobe staples,” she tells me. “It’s taken time to reshape and modernise the business and we need to get the balance right. Our focus is on broadening our appeal to be more relevant to more customers. In doing so, we’ll retain our core and loyal customers, while attracting and exciting new ones.”
Understanding the customer and what she wants also means understanding what she doesn’t, which means leaving behind catwalk trends that might feel too directional or inaccessible. Ultimately, the M&S approach hinges around becoming the UK’s most-trusted retailer, which means doing right by the customer. You’ll still be heading to M&S for the great-fitting bras that they’re known for, but now you might leave with a versatile trouser to wear to the office, too. “We’ve had to get closer to the market trends and be selective about what we do and don’t pursue in terms of style,” Evans explains. “We focus on stylish and versatile products that give our customers confidence.”
Its latest collaborations have driven real buzz for M&S. Bella Freud’s line of jumpers and contemporary classics, which perfectly optimised the chain’s reputation as a leader in knitwear and cashmere, initially sold out in less than 24 hours. A few of the most coveted styles are currently being sold on pre-loved platforms for significantly over asking price – its ‘Nature’ cashmere jumper is available to buy for £169.99 on eBay, up from its retail price of £129.99. M&S’ two collections with Sienna Miller were similarly successful, with its spring/summer broderie top and quilted jackets proving most popular. The collaboration also attracted a customer 10 years younger than average. “Bella’s designs are so recognisable and covetable and Sienna is a national style icon,” says Evans. She credits the selling power of both collaborations as down to “great design, great quality, great value,” as well as being “authentic, recognisable and accessible”. “Also, in regard to Bella, we are known for both knitwear and cashmere, so seemed like a match made in heaven,” she adds.
Alice Crossley, a senior foresight analyst at trend forecasting consultancy The Future Laboratory, says that M&S occupies a sweet spot of design that appeals to different generations. “They’ve managed to tap into the silver thread of ‘viral fashion trends’ that runs between Gen Z, Millennials and Boomers,” she explains. “In our Generations Now and Next: 2024-2025 report, we identified the prevalence of ‘flat-age thinking’; everyone is on social media and absorbing the same trends at the same time, leading to people of all ages buying into the same fashion items (for example, ballet flats). The collaboration with Sienna Miller really encapsulates this flat-age strategy. Sienna Miller is considered a fashion icon to Gen Z and Gen X alike — the collections still have an air of M&S sensibility but with contemporary relevance. By referencing her past looks, M&S also taps into older consumers’ nostalgia and Gen Z’s love of the Nineties and archival fashion.”
Consistency, she adds, is also key – and consistency when done well breeds customer trust. “You see a trend on TikTok and know M&S will have produced an item of clothing that fits that specific look, but it will also have tried to make the product timeless, classic and well-made.”
Going forward, M&S is already working on a strong spring/summer 2025 collection and on elevating its footwear line, concentrating on material, fit and detail. “It’s a big step change from where we have previously been,” says Evans. Perhaps it’s time to accept my fate that there will be more pilgrimages to M&S in Colliers Wood next year.