British it-girl Alexa Chung will launch the Winter Archive by Alexa Collection for Marks & Spencer on Tuesday.
This is the second iteration of her capsule for the British retailer and will complete the series. Like the first, it is a contemporary interpretation of archive pieces from the brand, which was established in 1884. The 27-piece womenswear collection was curated by Chung and the M&S design team using the brand’s extensive archive that is housed in Leeds in the north of England.
There are three shoes styles: a lug-soled, lace-up work boot in black leather with brogue detailing; a heeled bootie that comes in both black matt leather and crushed velvet; and a pair of pointed, floral pumps.
The pump style was modeled on a classic pair from the Sixties, known back in the day as “casuals” or “flexibles.” The team updated them by introducing the oriental print from a dressing gown that was sold by Marks & Spencer in the Thirties.
The Chinoiserie print robe dates from around 1935 and has a black background with a Chinese floral and pagoda motif in pink, blue, white and green. Traditional designs from China were a huge influence on the clothing and accessories of the era, with the kimono-style proving particularly popular.
“For this second collection, I wanted to focus on a more luxe evening wear vibe to lead us into the winter party season,” said Chung, “and was thrilled to once again to discover an abundance of inspiration within the Marks & Spencer archive.”
The collection will available in select stores and online at Marks & Spencer.
