Chung at heart of M&S revival bid as collection hits stores
ALEXA CHUNG today swapped the front row for the shop floor to unveil her debut collection with M&S.
The style icon, whose collaboration with the high-street chain goes on sale today, posed for photographers at its Marble Arch flagship store wearing a polka-dot print dress.
She was joined by shoppers eager to get first dibs on the 31-piece range, which has accrued a waiting list in excess of 25,000 people.
The collection went on sale in 66 stores across the UK, including 13 in London, at 9am. Among the most sought-after items are a ruffle-front piecrust shirt, which retails at £35, and a khaki gabardine trench coat available for £89.
Fashion designer Emilie Arnoux was among the first in the queue and had her sights set on the trench coat, piecrust shirt and a paisley tea dress.
“I love it because of the price point and I’m a big fan of Alexa’s style,” she said. “The collection is about reinventing classics. They are all statement pieces which I think I’ll wear for a really long time.”
Chung — who was responsible for the sell-out success of an M&S suede skirt after she was pictured wearing it last year — has been busy drumming up anticipation for the collection since it was announced in February.
On Monday, she unveiled the collection’s campaign, starring London model Adwoa Aboha, to her 2.2 million Instagram followers. Scores of her London-based fans are expected at the Marble Arch store this evening where Chung, 32, is to return for a public appearance.
M&S bosses are banking on the range to be a hit, particularly among younger shoppers, to help revive womenswear sales and boost the chain’s fashion credibility.
The Archive by Alexa collection coincides with a new M&S kidswear line designed in collaboration with model Jourdan Dunn, which also went on sale today.
Chung created the collection by reworking pieces from the M&S archive. The model, who grew up in Hampshire, said she was “obsessed” with the old-school trench coats and included a shirt as it reminded her of her father. “At school I wore one of my dad’s old shirts as a painting apron,” she said.
Later this evening, Topshop is to give VIPs a first look at Beyoncé’s new sportswear line. Ivy Park, which is on sale to the public from tomorrow, is backed by retail boss Sir Philip Green.