Fashion Week can feel frustrating sometimes, right? Through your instagram feeds you see a polka dot Marc by Marc Jacobs crop top that goes straight to the top of your wish-list but you know it’s going to be a. mega expensive and b. probably sold out by the time it hits the stores.
Which is why the Whistles London Fashion Week show is always a cheery occasion. Featuring stuff from your go-to high street store for that killer piece for a wedding/work/wearing all year long, you know that these are clothes (and bags and shoes) you’ll actually be able to afford.
So what will they be tempting you with next Spring/Summer? The short answer: sporty-inspired, super easy to wear black and white and some killer accessories. Think the perfect roomy bucket bag and a metallic clutch bum bag. Fun times!
We caught up with the woman behind the collection, Jane Shepherdson, to get her take on what we should be saving up for now:
**The Debrief: So, Jane – talk us through the thinking behind this new collection? **
Jane Shepherdson: Our aesthetic generally is quite clean and we wanted to just loosen up a little bit and inject a bit of fun into it. Because it’s been such a hot summer here and we actually got into summer clothes and we started wearing clothes for an extended period of time, you almost care about them more. They’re beginning to feel more important.
DB: Pretty much all black and white though. Why that direction?
JS: It’s hard not to like a monochrome palette, right? It looks really clean and sporty. And black and white with a tan is really hard to beat.
READ: Hidden Wardrobe Gems You Can Only Rediscover When You Have Tanned Legs
DB: And there were actually some prints on those great PJ style silk tailored pieces…
JS: We first started thinking about Carnival with this collection, actually. So the prints became these slightly tropical, slightly Brazilian… We approached it all with a bit more of a sense of fun that we have done in the past, I think.
DB: So what key pieces should we be saving up for because you reckon they’ll sell out as soon as they hit the stores?
**JS: **Ooh that’s hard. But I think the white parka with the little tufts all over it. That’s perfect to buy at the beginning of the summer and wear with everything – shorts, trousers, at a festival, for work… And there’s an all in one too that’s very simple with just a V neck that’s just really easy to pull on in the day or for going out in the evening.
READ MORE: We Try On All The Menswear In Whistles So You Don't Have To
DB: And your menswear featured for the first time in a collection. Is that something girls can wear too?
JS: I’m so into the idea of girls wearing menswear! I very nearly wore a men’s black suit today, but I couldn’t get it in the size I wanted. From this collection, I would wear the ivory bomber jacket and the shorts right now. And also the all in one. Though the model Troy did, er, fill it out rather fabulously….!
DB: One last cheeky question! Sometimes we’re in Whistles with our mum trying to persuade her to buy us that killer dress. How could we sell this collection to her?
JS: I just think these are clothes you could wear anywhere so you would get incredible value for money out of these clothes. You could wear them to work, you could roll the hems up of the trousers and wear them at the weekend. You could wear them to a wedding, even. I wore a jumpsuit to a wedding this summer and it looked so modern. Buy two or three of the pieces and they go together perfectly. That’s the perfect way to convince mum, right? ‘It’s value for money!’
We'll certainly give it a go!
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.