Wow! It really is Wallis
After years of being outshone by Zara and even M&S, the Eighties favourite has reinvented itself
Chic, flattering jumpsuits, on-trend printed trousers, stylish leather jackets and flowing maxi dresses that channel t his season’s Seventies vibe. it’s been many years since Wallis was last so on the money with its collections, but it looks as if there has finally been change for the better at the high Street store.
in the late Eighties, Wallis was the go-to shop for sophisticated professional clothing. it always had the edge over its competitors: a little more daring, a shade more colourful.
So when Sir Philip Green took over the brand in 2002, it didn’t seem incongruous to launch collaborations with the likes of Linda Evangelista and helena christensen.
Yet fashions changed, fortunes rose and fell, and Wallis began to look a touch tired.
in among the fast fashion glitz of Zara and Mango, the reliable behemoths such as Marks & Spencer and John Lewis and the cheap-as- chips Primark, Wallis got lost. Bland, unloved and packed with polyester, there was simply no reason to shop there.
But things are starting to turn around for the company, which has returned to its two core values: high fashion connections and high-quality pattern-cutting.
‘Wallis is known for its coats, tailoring and good-quality pieces,’ says its head of design, Jo collins.
‘We keep this ethos alive by working with our in-house pattern room, designers and print designer, so we can offer exclusive pieces with real attention to detail.’
certainly some of the pieces in the new collection show the brand’s expertise in pattern- cutting — something that many other companies outsource to suppliers.
A buttery leather jacket is not cheap at £195, but the cut is superb, while the tailored jumpsuits could convert even the most vehement naysayers.
The slow return to style really started back in 2009, when supermodel Yasmin Le Bon created her first collection for Wallis. it earned the company coverage in top fashion titles, including Vogue.
One of the company’s ‘mantras’, Jo collins says, is: ‘Fashion, not fad.’ This explains the premium W collection — an affordable range that is timeless and flattering.
Floral tapered trousers that are so hard to pull off work perfectly in an italian-printed fabric and a sharp cut, for £40.
And for a sheer dress that is terrifying for anyone over a size eight, take a second look to the W version, £25, with asymmetrical ruching on the jersey bodice, keeping the sheer section safely below the knees.
‘The 35-plus woman wants to look relevant, current and fashionable, and is in no way a slave to fashion trends,’ says Jo.
‘it takes really skilled designers to take into consideration all the trends of the season and deliver them in a way that is sensible, stylish and most of all flattering.’
And if Wallis can keep hold of that ethos, it may yet return to its high Street heyday as the purveyor of catwalk classics that women over 35 love to wear.