Fashion for the People A History of Clothing at Marks & Spencer [Paperback]

Marks & Spencer is an institution synonymous with quality, reliability, and customer care. But do we associate it with 'fashion'? Drawing on previously unpublished company archives, Fashion for the People considers the company's contribution to British - and, since the 1970s, international - fashion. The author discusses how, from the 1920s, Marks & Spencer brought fashion to the high street, offering well-designed clothing at affordable prices. She examines the unique ways in which the company has democratized fashion, arguing that its pioneering role in the development of new fabrics, the employment of designers as consultants and its marketing and promotional strategies have changed the ways in which we understand and consume fashion. Marks & Spencer is not just a stalwart of the British high street. As this book shows, it has also brought fashion to the masses.Introduction: Marks & Spencer, Democratisation and the History of Non-Elite Clothing * Marks & Spencer, Retailing and the Ready-to-Wear Clothing Industry * The Role of Technological Innovation * Marks & Spencer and Fashion: The Importance of Design * Selling Fashion * Marks & Spencer and the Internationalisation of Fashion * Conclusion: Changing the Definitions of Fashion: Quality and Value for All * Bibliography * IndexRachel Worth is Principal Lecturer in Fashion Studies at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth.