My friend Miranda is super-important in marketing at Woolies and recently went across to Marks & Spencer HQ in London, Marble Arch, for a learning trip. Other than finding out that there was quite a lot to learn on BOTH sides, she also came back with tales of media rooms that were permanently available for fashion eds like myself. Media rooms set up for collections at all times. Media room nirvana, it sounds like to me.
And at exactly that room yesterday, M&S launched their new spring/summer 11 collection to a very impressed audience, some of which you can see here.
On the one hand I am quite excited as I will be in London in February and I expect some of this product will be available to buy. On the other hand, I also know that we need inspiration here in good old SA. But I think that this collection gives us an idea of what is possible to produce in fashion on a mass scale by a national retail institution. This is what we should be demanding in-store right here. I will have a word with Miranda.
PS: Just look at that last incredible outfit. Doesn't it look almost exactly like when Blake Lively wore Lanvin hot off the September runway? Wow.
(click on the picture to make it bigger)