High street brands that boomed in the noughties before the squeeze of both sustainably minded consumers and the rise of ultra-cheap online labels are staging a comeback.
This time, rather than focusing solely on trend-led affordable designs, the names familiar to any shopper are courting luxury fashion, A-list collaborations and enhanced services in an attempt to engage consumers.
Think Gap's new collection with Victoria Beckham. Or Marks & Spencer showcasing a covetable catwalk collection at London fashion week with celebrities including Joan Collins and assorted gen Z Gallaghers in attendance, then making it available to buy immediately, with half of the pieces under £50. Topshop relaunched last year and now has concessions in 30 John Lewis stores, as well as the luxury retailer Liberty.
Lisa Illis, the head of design at M&S, describes their recent catwalk show as “making the buzz of London fashion week accessible to everyoneâ€. She says “more fashion-informed seasonal collections†have seen the number of under-35s shopping at the retailer increase 16% year on year.
The Hollywood stylist Law Roach, whose clients include Zendaya, has been appointed stylist-in-residence at Asos, where his influence will be felt not just in advertising campaigns, but also through his suggestions on different items from across the site to wear together.
“In research, we found that 68% of consumers say what they need to know is how to wear something,†says Vanessa Spence, Asos's executive vice-president of brand.
The online retailer has added AI stylists, virtual try-on tools and a Buy the Look option, which allows consumers to buy an outfit in one go, a feature that Spence says is very popular. “We're helping customers find pieces that they want to wear. Then they can get more from every purchase and extend the life of their product.â€
Ella Baynes, insight manager at retail consultants Savvy Marketing, says the shift shows brands are adapting to the more sophisticated ways consumers are approaching fashion, particularly online. “Instead of competing directly, [these retailers] are borrowing some of luxury fashion's cultural cues,†she says. “You're meeting both that shopper aspiration, but also the shopper reality [with the price].â€
Asos's extensive adaptive collection for disabled customers also shows this broader way of thinking. The company worked with disabled consultancy Tilting the Lens on the range. “There is an ability to develop, even for yourself, a capsule collection,†says founder and disability advocate Sinéad Burke, who has achondroplasia, the most common form of restricted growth. “It's not just one suit, it's not just one skirt, you can customise the pieces. You can wear the magnetic waistcoat with the pants. We hope what we're giving people is greater choice.â€
Crucially, these items are affordable – nothing is more than £65 – which is particularly important for disabled people, 46% of whom are not in work in the UK. “Whenever we're looking at shopper attitude, cost is absolutely king,†confirms Baynes.
For Asos in particular, which registered a sharp decline in sales post-Covid and new competition from ultra-cheap brands like Shein, an overhaul was needed. Sales were down 12% last August. A cost-cutting drive, including charging for returns, helped the site turn a corner, and they announced a 50% growth of profits this March, although the impact of a cyber-attack at the beginning of October is yet to become clear.
Andrea Cheong, fashion commentator and author of Why Don't I Have Anything to Wear?, regularly posts Instagram videos reviewing different items from affordable brands, in order to assess how well made they are. She has noticed that brands are not signposting their environmental credentials as much as they once did – due to a combination of criticism from campaigners, cost and the rise of conservatism. “It wasn't something that was very lucrative once the economy was in decline, and then bring politics into it, that has a huge impact,†she says.
At M&S, which first launched its eco-commitments in 2007, value and sustainability are not competing priorities. “By designing pieces with longevity in mind, from everyday wardrobe staples to more fashion-led seasonal collections, we're helping customers build wardrobes they'll wear and love for longer,†says Illis.
But regardless of making more enduring styles, retailers are always up against changeable consumer behaviour – and damning statistics like the estimate that a garment is on average worn seven times before it is thrown away.
Even if brands are borrowing from the luxury playbook, the reality may not always match up, argues Cheong. “However much they try to elevate what it is, it is not the same [fabric] that they use at, for example, Dior.†The use of human-made fibres in ranges like the M&S catwalk collection and Asos Adaptive is just one example of the difference between high fashion and high street.
Cheong says a lot of gen Z and millennial customers are also shopping secondhand, with resale app Vinted now the third biggest retailer in the UK. “I would say 70% or 80% of my audience are 25 to 35 and they are really jaded. They are a lot more savvy than brands seem to think.â€
Sustainability aside, perhaps this new shift shows that brands are realising consumers are more cynical now – and that they need to do more to reach their radar.
