Holly Willoughby’s Latest M&S Edit Is Here!

Pick up a newspaper and the picture painted by Marks & Spencer is usually of a store struggling under the collapse of the high street and unable to cater to its diverse customer base. But, walk into the retailer’s Spring Summer 19 showroom and you’re met with relevancy and vibrancy.

A wall of denim greets you. A refreshingly simple indigo jumpsuit is followed by a ruffle-edge chambray shirt and a button-down minidress, which we expect to see on Holly Willoughby soon as the TV host immediately added it to her edit of her 16 favourite pieces from the retailer.

'‘This edit has been really fun to pull together,' Holly comments, 'I have always loved the simplicity of a denim dress and I live in a high waisted skinny jean at the weekend. The pieces in this edit are really versatile but are also super stylish too.

See: Holly Willoughby's SS19 M&S Edit

‘I am a huge fan of wearing different denim pieces together - effortless but with a cooler edge! If top-to-toe denim isn’t for you, add a crisp white tee and a simple ankle boot, for a classic look that will see you through season after season.’

The Willoughby effect is interesting as it not only sells clothes but it’s now having the reverse impact on the designers as it seems her high-low, ageless and unassuming personal style is indelibly scribed into the new collection. The heft of mini skirts and patterned dresses, as well as a leather skirt and button-front shirtdress, look straight out of the Willoughby fashion playbook.

After the denim, which happens to be a big seller for the brand with M&S owning the biggest market share of the category on the high street, comes the vacation clothes. There’s a pair of tobacco slides that look mysteriously like those sell-out Dune sandals that themselves are an impossibly good replica of Hermes’. A tiered sundress patterned with stripes and a macrame bag set the tone, which is decisively minimal. The palette veers between neutral creams and sandy browns to rich caramel, khaki and burnt orange. The shapes are clean and straightforward but very textural - lots of embroidery, trinkety jewellery and woven accessories.

There’s a new team at M&S, which perhaps explains the reinvigorated laser-like focus on palette and silhouette. Jill Stanton, director of womenswear and kidswear, comes from Next and Nike and is joined by Lisa Ilis, head of womenswear design, who also hails from the Portland-based sports brand. At their press briefing, they spoke of wanting ‘quality’ and ease from their womenswear.

Though still beleaguered by a complex web of diffusion labels with Per Una and Autograph seemingly the same to the untrained eye, M&S womenswear has appeared to turn a corner. And, that corner is lined with simplicity and effortless denim.

Holly Willoughby's Must-Have Edit lands in stores and online on the 26th February.

See: The M&S SS19 Collection