I love a high street collab and the chance to buy into your favourite labels – or celebs – for less (cue much smugness to she who takes the spoils).
Rewind 11 years and you’ll find me queueing outside H&M on Oxford Street at 7am for the much-anticipated (and, in my humble opinion, never bettered) Isabel Marant collaboration, coloured wristband on, elbows out.
I also still own several pieces from the Kate Moss x Topshop range (shout out to that yellow dress), which is currently seeing a resurgence on Vinted and Shopbop.
But the era when Topshop inhabited the corner of Oxford Street like a retail colossus – a sort of fashion Disneyland for bored teenagers – and shoppers queued for hours for the latest H&M-designer diffusion line has felt very much behind us. Until now.
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that three notable collabs are all launching over the next six weeks: John Lewis x A.W.A.K.E. MODE, M&S x Bella Freud and (be still my noughties heart) Zara x Kate Moss (30 November). Much like, err, pedal pushers, they’re making a comeback and I’m here for it, albeit with more of an eye on quality and less enthusiasm for 7am starts.
My pick of the three? Bella Freud at M&S. I’ve long admired the designer’s signature skinny suits, 1970s-style pussy bow blouses and psychoanalytical statement knits, but not the £450+ price points. I also love that M&S is currently in the midst of a fashion resurgence, celebrating iconic British brands like Jaeger and offering quality pieces at affordable prices (the brand’s erstwhile habit of adding unnecessary frills and diamanté studs to perfectly presentable T-shirts and trousers seems to have been reined in, finally.)
Bella (daughter of Lucian Freud and great granddaughter of Sigmund Freud, which sort of explains those knits) says the range is “the essence of what I do”, and it is indeed filled with her greatest hits. There’s a skinny, navy pinstripe suit that’s a fraction of the cost of her usual tailoring and gorgeous cashmere slogan jumpers for a third of the normal price.
All of this is how, dear reader, I found myself on Oxford Street at 7.30am this very morning, with only a Pret coffee and a few lost tourists for company. After taking a walk around the block and spending some time on a random bench (the glamour!), I was joined by a a few more hardy souls. By 8.30am, a very polite queue had formed of around 20 slightly tense shoppers. People talked about the pieces they were after, wondered aloud what the sizing would be like and peered through the doors at the M&S team setting up inside the Marble Arch branch.
It was quite lovely. Suddenly, it was 2013 again and I was with my people. Then the doors opened and the atmosphere became, well, a little more steely. The range wasn’t huge, so it was every woman for herself.
Here’s what I shopped.
The pussy bow blouse
I’ve seriously deliberated over buying one of the pussy bow blouses from the main collection but have never been able to justify the price tag. So, when the doors opened, this was the piece I headed for (and, I’m slightly ashamed to admit, would have body-slammed someone for, if needs be; thankfully, only a somewhat sped-up walk was required). The silk shirt is nice quality and will go equally well with my favourite denim as it will a sparkly midi skirt when December hits.
The pinstripe suit
Instead of around £1,400, which is what you’d usually expect to pay for a tailored Bella Freud suit, this comes in at £218. It’s a bonafide bargain and, again, the wool jacket and trousers feel good-quality. I’ll be dressing it down with trainers and one of the fine knits from the collection for the office. Note that I bought the regular-length trousers, which are slightly long for me. If you’re 5ft 4 (like me) or smaller (like, um, Kylie), then opt for the petite version.
The Divine Feminine knit
I’m always slightly ambivalent about slogan knits and tees. They never quite say what I want them to (like “No, your email does not find me well” or “Yes, I’m leaving now”, that kind of thing). But I like the feminist message here (in praise of the goddess in all of us) and, you know, the cashmere. It’s a relatively fine knit, so will be great for layering under the suit, or styling with chic track pants on days off.
The Blue Sky jumper
This is the only type of blue-sky thinking I’ll tolerate. Again, it’s a lovely lightweight jumper, so perfect for layering when the weather’s being particularly dithery. I’ll be wearing it over a crisp white shirt for the office, or just with jeans on WFH days.
The bright beanie
I grabbed this while I was heading for the till (I was taking this competitive shopping thing a bit too seriously, I’ll be honest). I’m not quite sure it suits me, but I’m going to give it a bit more time. Also available in a soft pink, I like the pop of colour it brings to muted autumn tailoring.
The verdict on M&S x Bella Freud
This collection didn’t disappoint. It’s Bella Freud’s bestsellers at affordable prices and, just in case I haven’t mentioned it enough, the pieces are well-made with quality fabrics. There were also some really nice touches – the branded bags and suit carriers, as well as the lovely staff at the till who seemed really excited about the range.
But, mostly, I quite enjoyed throwing it back to a time when high street collabs were genuine cultural moments and people actually went to stores to shop (how novel!). What can I say? I’m British, I just love a queue.
Shop our picks of the collection (there’s still some stock left!)
