M&S STAGES FIRST LONDON FASHION WEEK CATWALK SHOW

Marks & Spencer staged its first ever catwalk show at London Fashion Week, marking 100 years of the retailer selling fashion. The show took place at the Design Museum in front of 310 guests, including Joan Collins, Katherine Jenkins, Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher and Kemi Badenoch. Every piece shown went on sale as the show began on Friday. Joan Collins said the coats on display were "very chic" and singled out an ivory evening dress with caped shoulders. Kemi Badenoch said she intended to buy the collection's black tuxedo jacket.

M&S womenswear director Maddy Evans said the collection was built around "fashion with a small f, not a capital F". The range included sharp kilts, low-rise slouchy denim, faux fur stoles and sunglasses, alongside a grey office suit modelled by Lennon Gallagher. Half of the pieces were priced under £50, while the most expensive item, a leather coat, was priced at £450. The colour palette across the collection was largely neutral, with red used as an accent in both womenswear and menswear. Catwalk styling on the day included a very short skirt.

Evans said M&S now ranks second among retailers for style perception, behind Zara, adding "that's exactly where we want to be". The show was staged at a time when London Fashion Week has been described as increasingly expensive and less accessible to everyday shoppers amid a cost of living crisis. M&S said its aim was to make catwalk-influenced style available at affordable prices rather than compete directly with higher-priced designers. The collection was shown alongside other designers presenting at the same fashion week. Guests at the event included figures from fashion, television and sport.