If you are reading Amanda’s attempts to buy ‘no new’ clothes with interest and are considering the amount you buy, you might want to check out the new H&M brand Arket, which is hoping to pioneer a conscious approach to high street shopping.
Featuring men’s, women’s, childrenswear and homeware, the brand focuses on a lifestyle concept and selling well designed products with longevity. The clothing features a range of elevated basics, which is a concept we in the trends world have been talking about for some time now.
Taking favourite basic items such as a white shirt or a classic cashmere cardigan and updating them with new colours or unexpected details, is definitely the way forward for consumers who want quality not quantity. Buy less and buy better is a mantra I really try to stick to and I’m hopeful this new brand will become a firm favourite.
Inspired by ‘lagom‘ (the Swedish word for ‘just the right amount’) the shops will be bright and airy with an uncluttered aesthetic and the functional fashion will sit alongside branded items and own-brand homeware.
They will also feature a cafe founded on the New Nordic Food Manifesto – which aims to create and inspire the joy of food, taste and variety, and has a strong focus on health and an ethical production.
The debut London flagship in Regent Street will open in late August, and there will be another opening in Covent Garden later this year. If you don’t live in London, don’t worry,, as the debut collection will also be available to shop online.
I could COMPLETELY get behind this next year….This could be hard to resist in August….Ax
The designs do look super and I’m all in favour of ‘lagom‘. I note the London shop will include ” … a cafe founded on the New Nordic Food Manifesto – which aims to create and inspire the joy of food, taste and variety, and has a strong focus on health and an ethical production.” I couldn’t find anything that related to ethical production of the clothes. I think it’s hugely difficult to ensure and monitor ethical manufacturing when it happens mostly in China and the far east. If we’re going for ‘lagom’ couldn’t we all pay a little bit more for clothes that are manufactured closer to home? Think of all that bad eco transportation if nothing else.
I have never responded on line before .. but why haven’t M& S taken up the challenge and produced this sort of range. Have they missed the boat again!
I agree absolutely with Sharps. M & S have missed so many boats in so many ways. We all keep telling them but they sure ain’t listening.
Oh don’t even go there! Why oh why indeed M&S? Probably because its too visionary for them – therefore too risky. Sadly the M&S management have no vision for the future – the creative and buying teams do but are held back by the accountants running the business. Its the same old story those with the money have no ideas, those with the ideas have no money!! SO depressing!
J x
See below Jane *sighs*
J x