Marks & Spencer celebrated its 100 years of selling fashion by hosting a catwalk show at the Design Museum during London Fashion Week. With celebrity attendees like Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher, the event showcased affordable pieces priced under £50 for half of the collection, with the most expensive item being a leather coat at £450. The clothing line aimed to appeal to both fashion enthusiasts and everyday customers, blending classic M&S elements with contemporary trends, such as sharp kilts and low-rise slouchy denim.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Marks & Spencer (M&S) made history by debuting at London Fashion Week in September, joining luxury brands like Burberry and Erdem. The high street giant celebrated its 100th anniversary of selling fashion with a catwalk show featuring models aged from 21 to 60, including celebrities such as David Gandy, Jessie Ware, and Lara Stone. M&S adopted a "see now, buy now" model, allowing attendees and online shoppers immediate access to purchase items shown during the event. The collection featured a blend of classic pieces with modern twists, appealing to both fashion enthusiasts and practical consumers. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK's Conservative party, attended the show wearing a silver metallic top under a suit, while models like Dutch supermodel Lara Stone walked in an ivory double-breasted longline overcoat. The event was praised by the British Fashion Council for its innovative approach to connecting exceptional design with consumers.
Written for “London Fashion Week” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Joan Collins declared the coats “very chic”, and has her eye on a graceful ivory evening dress with caped shoulders.
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coats → declare → shoulders
Kemi Badenoch plans to snap up the classic black tuxedo jacket.
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Badenoch → plan → 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.
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catwalk → look → hit
The show, held at the Design Museum for 310 guests including Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher, was a gamble on both sides.
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show → hold → sides
Would snobby fashionistas be traumatised by elasticated waistbands and practical rainwear?
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fashionistas → traumatise → waistbands
Would M&S customers be alienated by a world of £2,000 handbags and shoes you can’t walk in?
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you → alienate → handbags
The style message was “fashion with a small f, not a capital F”, said the M&S womenswear director, Maddy Evans.
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director → say → f
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.
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look → replace → 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).
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amount → add → sauce
All the clothes in this collection went on sale as the show began on Friday, with half of the pieces under £50.
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half → go → 50
The most expensive, a leather coat, will retail for £450.
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expensive → retail → 450
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.
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prices → struggle → crisis
As a vision of where our wardrobes are going next, the collection will not give Phoebe Philo or Jonathan Anderson any sleepless nights.
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collection → go → nights
M&S is not seeking to define the next vibe shift.
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M&S → seek → 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.
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wardrobe → pick → 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.
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Menswear → feature → Gallagher
M&S are now ranked in second place in style perception, behind Zara.
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M&S → rank → Zara
“That’s exactly where we want to be”, said Evans.
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Evans → ’ → ?
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.
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which → feel → lingerie
Models of a broad range of ages and body sizes “were chosen to reflect our 23 million customers”, said Evans.
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Evans → choose → customers
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.
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version → catch → 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.
uncertain
that → see → Freud
M&S is not the only big name giving the London schedule fresh momentum and a renewed sense of occasion this season.
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M&S → give → occasion
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.
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Kane → return → Mulberry
Fashion editor’s top picks
Double-breasted tuxedo jacket, £85
Modern party-dressing made simple.
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dressing → make → ?
Double-breasted shape and satin peak labels bring just enough drama.
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labels → bring → drama
Ivory satin party dress, £89
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.
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you → find → street
The personality skirt is big in fashion and with gold sequins and silk fringing, this has main character energy.
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this → have → energy
The Aporia
