Marks & Spencer (M&S) will join the luxury lineup at London Fashion Week (LFW) this September, marking its debut at the event as it celebrates 100 years in the fashion industry. The British high-street retailer will stage a catwalk show highlighting its latest women’s and menswear collections, with pieces available to buy immediately online and in larger stores.
CEO Says M&S Has Dumped the Frump
Stuart Machin, chief executive of M&S, said the decision to show at LFW was an opportunity to “showcase our designs on fashion’s global stage” and is part of a wider transformation into a go-to fashion destination for high-street shoppers. Speaking at the group’s annual meeting in London on Tuesday, Machin declared the retailer had successfully “dumped the frump” – a reference to a 2016 comment by then-CEO Steve Rowe about M&S’s reputation for frumpiness.
Laura Weir, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, described M&S as “one of the great icons of the British high street”, adding that the retailer had played “an important role in the nation’s retail and cultural story for generations”.
Younger Audience and Social Media Appeal
Maddy Evans, M&S’s head of womenswear, who joined in 2019, has been crucial in the turnaround. The approach includes trend-driven monthly product drops and items that go viral on social media. Barrel leg jeans, mesh jelly shoes, and lightweight funnel neck jackets – at a fraction of designer prices – have shifted the age demographic from 55+ to those in their 20s and early 30s. On TikTok, videos such as “rate my M&S haul” rack up thousands of views. Trending items this month included kitten-heeled flip-flops similar to those worn by model Hailey Bieber, Chloé-esque floaty lace tops, and Missoni-inspired striped knitted dresses.
M&S now holds just over 10% market share of total national clothing sales and has 12 million female customers – a feat for a retailer that fell out of the FTSE 100 in 2019 (returning four years later) and suffered a cyber-attack in 2025 that almost wiped out its profits.
High-Profile Shows and Celebrity Ambassadors
In June, M&S launched its summer collection with a fashion show in Ibiza, hosted by Chicken Shop Date presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg, featuring a see-through catwalk over a giant swimming pool. Last week, it took over the pit lane at Silverstone for a show hours before the British Grand Prix, with models walking against a backdrop of F1 garages. These shows follow the appointment of celebrity ambassadors including Gillian Anderson and Claudia Winkleman, sellout collaborations with actress Sienna Miller and designer Bella Freud, and stocking brands like Nobody’s Child and Ghost London. Retail expert Elizabeth Stiles said such initiatives have “elevated perceptions of the whole business”.
Balancing Younger Appeal with Core Customers
M&S’s focus on younger shoppers has left some shareholders concerned about alienating its traditional customer base. During the AGM, Machin said a customer complained that dresses had become “all sleeveless” and “a bit skimpy”, and his “stylish 78-year-old mother” noted tops were “getting a bit short”. As a result, future pieces, including those on September’s catwalk, will feature items that “cover the tum, tops and bum”.
Following Topshop’s Footsteps
M&S’s debut at LFW follows Topshop, which became the first high-street brand to show on schedule in 2005. Cos will show at September’s New York Fashion Week, while last September H&M opened LFW with a show starring models Alex Consani and Paloma Elsesser.
