How this £45 polyester M&S frock became Britain’s favourite dress
THE KEY TO ITS SUCCESS? AS THESE FANS REVEAL, IT FLATTERS ALL SIZES . . .
FOR what can only be described as a fairly conservative, polyester mid- length dress, churned off a production line in Turkey, this was something of a coup.
M&S said this week that its £45 ‘constellation frock’ — a navy blue creation with fluted sleeves and a planets and stars motif — had completely sold out nationwide.
Which made it even more desirable, of course. Fashion blogs were abuzz with women deploring the fact that they couldn’t get hold of ‘the’ dress, while some of those lucky enough to own one were quickly turning to eBay, hoping to make a killing.
The dress’s popularity was helped by some prominent sightings on TV and social media.When BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire wore it on Monday, fans gushed their praise. Fashion blogger Alex Stedman wore it to London Fashion Week and attracted 3,657 ‘likes’ on Instagram.
In fact, the making of a smash-hit starts long before it arrives in stores. As they plan their collections, retailers try to identify trends that will be big over the coming months. M&S says: ‘We identified cosmic print as being key very early on.’
Model Cara Delevingne was spotted in a similar motif last summer, and Diane von Furstenberg sent spacethemed dresses down the catwalk last year. ‘None of the designers who create collections for the High Street are working in isolation,’ says Francesca Muston at trend forecasters WGSN.
‘As well as the catwalks, they’re also looking at the social, political and environmental context, so there’s definitely an element of them tapping into the zeitgeist.’
With its fluted sleeves and midilength, the constellation dress is bang on trend this season, with a big drive towards conservative fashion.
Once a brand has picked out a few ‘hero pieces’, these items are sent to magazines for shoots long before they actually become available to buy. They’re also often delivered to fashion bloggers and celebrities to build buzz around the item and ensure it appears on social media.
THOUGH it’s unclear how many of the dresses M&S put into production, some suspect it was fewer than their main runs of clothing.
‘I would say volumes were deliberately restricted,’ says Francesca Muston. ‘It’s about scarcity. If no one can get it, more people want it. It’s a strategy we see more and more.’
At £45, the dress sits in the ‘sweet spot’ of M&S’s price range, she adds. ‘It also does all of the things their core customer wants: it covers the knees, it covers the arms, it’s flattering.’
Like most modern brands, M&S now uses social media as a key part of its marketing strategy, working closely with popular figures online to promote their products.
Erica Davies, a former fashion editor who now runs fashion website The Edited, shared a picture of herself wearing the dress on September 2.
Her post attracted 2,337 ‘likes’ from fans, as well as 195 comments, many from women desperate to get their hands on the dress. ‘We all need it!! @marksandspencer better be stocked up!’ one wrote.
If you haven’t got one, all is not lost. Though it won’t be restocked until November 6, that’s still in time for the Christmas party season. An online waiting list will also soon be available.