I literally cannot believe it Marks and Spencer’s going stateside launching a collaboration with Nordstrom. Image credit The Industry Fashion @Theindustryfashion on Instagram
As of the 29th March Marks and Spencer’s is stocked in 30 Nordstrom stores from LA to New York City and also available on the Nordstrom website which is a bit of joke considering so many pieces on the Marks and Spencer’s website are marketed on celebrities and then permanently out of stock, so much so I stopped even looking at Marks and Spencer’s clothes about 10 years ago.
According to the Industry of Fashion more than 60 pieces from M&S most loved collections, per Una, and M&S collection are included in the Nordstrom range.
I went into Marks and Spencer’s in desperation a few weeks ago, to try and find some simple decent quality basics. The last time I tried shopping in Marks and Spencer’s was about 12 years ago when I briefly bought into a “Made In Great Britain” campaign to buy British made clothes, supporting local (after moving production out of the UK in 1999) and then discovered the collection was very limited, only available in London and mostly hype.
12 years later the clothes have gone even further down hill. I was surprised at the low prices around £10 for a plain white cotton long sleeve T shirt, around £6 cheaper than the equivalent from say the Gap but the quality was grim. It reminded me of the fabric my grandmas dusters were made of, the type of cotton that would not retain its shape and would be ready to be a duster after a couple of washes. A cut too short in the body, unflattering and I genuinely wondered who was buying and wearing these type of mass produced garments.
When I saw the headline about the partnership between UK High St Giant and American premium fashion juggernaut Nordstrom with their newly appointed ambassador X Files actress and designer fashionista Gillian Anderson with the job title “Chief Compliments Officer” I did think who is more desperate.
I lived in the US for 20 years and whilst I longed for European fashion trips, even the fashion capitals have their own unique conservative styles but demand better quality than Marks and Spencer’s are delivering present day.
I used to shop in Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack all the time and unless standards have gone through the floor in the last few years these clothes are just not going to cut it across the pond. Marks and Spencer’s would have been better sticking with Target where they got Percy Pig into in 2022 but maybe Victoria Beckham beat them to it with high design, highly celeb marketed cheap mass produced clothing.
The kaiser chiefs predicted a Riot, I predict a flop even with the gorgeous Gillian Anderson stepping into fashion icon Twiggy’s shoes; I wonder if she’s given up selling beds for Dreams to get the gig. The campaign cost $4.8 million although Anderson’s fee for the “Love Your Bed” campaign was not disclosed.
I think Nordstrom customers are going to take one look at the Marks and Spencer’s offering and think ewww.
Only time will tell but I think this is a wider global reflection on where fashion has ended up, after worker exploitation, mass over production, designer houses struggling to stay afloat and customers in America moving towards dressing in quiet luxury, secondhand couture and lifestyle athleisure. Even beautiful British brand Burberry have resorted to hiring “Inside The Manosphere” star and Islam convert Sneako to walk the runway 2021 craving his young male audience on social media, not thinking about alienating their long term customers abandoning the brand. On a side note I saw them attempt a high st pop up takeover of a newsagents in London, Shreeji News, Chiltern Street, Marylebone and thought immediately the newsagent customers may be curious but can’t afford Burberry so it must be just another desperate stunt for press. Except they cannot get people into store on New Bond St so not sure a newsagent in Marylebone is going to work better.
Getting stock on shelves must be impossible for Nordstrom if this crazy collaboration/partnership with M&S has come to fruition. And if the clothes sell it will be because there’s literally nothing else for Americans to buy when it comes to mid price range fashion as the economy struggles amidst rising prices. All I can see is the blind leading the blind.
It makes me think of the George Bernard Shaw quote “England and America are two countries separated by a common language” They certainly have a completely different style language.
As I write this Gillian Anderson comes on the TV selling excellence age perfect by L’Oréal Paris.
It kind of reminds me of Peter Crouch, one TV ad break was 5 or six different ads for different brands all staring Peter. A car, a washing powder, a gambling company, TNT sports and family favourite Bovril, all merged together like a Peter Crouch mini infomercial for him. The products he’s marketing blending into the background becoming invisible to the audience.
Over exposure makes me wonder who’s the bigger idiot, the brands or us the audience for buying it.
“Chief Compliments officer” for over exposed “face of” Gillian Anderson, Marks and Spencer’s? Which marketing “genius” came up with that?