by Dolly Jones
IF fashion is a fickle mistress, at least it allows for elegant transformations occasionally - remember, after all, that we all used to think
Victoria Beckham was just a
Spice Girl - and F&F is the latest label that is about to be granted legitimacy.
Formerly just a Tesco fashion attempt called Florence & Fred, we're now talking a
Saint Laurent Paris-inspired autumn/winter 2013 collection; Kensington flagship store; Somerset House catwalk show; ads starring Tom Ford model Jon K; a new denim line that will be in the next issue ofVogue - and a leather-look-sleeved plaid biker jacket that I don't even want to tell you will cost only £35.
"The Saint Laurent Paris show was a real inspiration - we knew we had some great product, but we took the opportunity to throw out the rule book in terms of styling to inspire our customer," says Anita Bolger, F&F global brand and marketing director. Bolger - who began her career at Betty Jackson, before going on to become Arcadia's group marketing director and group design director - joined Tesco 12 years ago, and has been busy supporting the growth of the clothing division into a billion-pound business across Europe.
Citing grunge, androgyny with a feminine twist, biker influences and a bit of Bowie, Bolger describes this collection as one "for women who want to look like women - inspired by fashion but not following it slavishly".
It's economy of scale, she says, that allows for such eye-popping prices - it would be possible to spend roughly the same amount as your monthly shop and keep your wardrobe updated. And F&F says it has its ethical ducks in line (read more of this
here).
Since the catwalk show in May, interest in the label has been burgeoning and the autumn/winter collection is due to land in store this week. The womenswear design team, meanwhile - headed up by Kate Crossey who moved from M&S last year - is now having fun putting together a spring/summer collection that is generating a tingle of anticipation.
"We want them to have confidence in the brand that we'll offer them the right trends, quality and prices, but we're also challenging the norm of how they want to wear it, while maintaining a versatility to go with what's already in their wardrobe," says Bolger. "We want to push boundaries but never take it to a scary place - we're always about broad appeal and not alienating anybody."
