M&S makes London Fashion Week debut for 100th anniversary
Marks & Spencer has showcased its clothing range at London Fashion Week for the first time, marking its centenary and a revival in its fashion fortunes.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Marks & Spencer has made its debut at London Fashion Week, a milestone for the high street retailer as it celebrates 100 years of its clothing range. The company, once seen as a fashion laggard, is using the event to signal a new confidence and to reconnect with a broader audience.
The collection shown on the catwalk was developed in the M&S design room, with pieces that draw on the brand's archive while being refreshed for today's market. One vintage item, originally a menswear jacket, was refined and reissued in new fabrics and colours. "It reflects the confidence that we're feeling about where we are," a spokesperson said.
The company's archive in Leeds holds a treasure trove of old garments, including a pair of 1930s beach pyjamas and a bra dating from around 1928, which was considered modern at a time when corsets were still common. These historical pieces illustrate how M&S has long dressed the nation, from the shorter hemlines of the 1960s to the power dressing of the 1980s.
But by the late 1990s, the retailer lost its edge and clothing sales slumped for years. Now, according to business correspondent Emma Simpson, the company is enjoying its biggest comeback in UK retail. Analysts credit M&S with improving its style perception while still appealing to a wide customer base. The contrast with other high street names that have disappeared, such as BHS, C&A and Debenhams, makes the transformation all the more remarkable.
The London Fashion Week appearance is part of that turnaround. Although some viewers might remain sceptical, the brand has become an influencer favourite. M&S is now, as Simpson put it, "a business finally hitting its stride."
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| After years of declining clothing sales following a loss of brand appeal in the late 1990s, M&S has experienced a major comeback. | ||
| M&S's clothing range marked its centenary alongside the brand's debut at London Fashion Week. | ||
| The M&S collection reissues vintage archive pieces, including a jacket originally designed as menswear. | ||
| The oldest item in the M&S archive is a bra dating to around 1928. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News framed the story primarily around M&S's debut at London Fashion Week, presenting it as a new and unexpected development. The report highlighted the brand's confidence and its attempt to make fashion accessible, while also covering the historical context and the retailer's recent comeback. The tone was positive but with a touch of scepticism, acknowledging that some may doubt M&S is truly cool again.
- “It is an opportunity to take something that's a fashion moment and make it accessible for a broader audience, which really resonates with us and it reflects the confidence that we're feeling about where we are.”
- “What we're seeing today is the biggest comeback in UK retail.”
- “So I've heard Marks and Spencers is cool again, but you know what, I just don't think it's possible.”
BBC ONE West presented the story as a centenary celebration, leading with the idea that one of Britain's best-known brands is turning 100. The segment spent more time on the historical archive and the journey from past to present, including the decline and recent revival. The tone was celebratory, with a clear focus on the brand's national significance.
- “Now, one of Britain's best-known brands is turning 100. Marks & Spencer is celebrating a century of its clothing range and our business correspondent, Emma Simpson, has been looking back at the history of M&S.”
- “It is an opportunity to take something that's a fashion moment and make it accessible for a broader audience, which really resonates with us and it reflects the confidence that we're feeling about where we are.”
- “A hundred years of dressing the nation, but by the end of the 90s, it lost its edge.”
Broadcast Timeline
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