In with the old, in with the new?

Fashionista has been thinking about Jaeger's 125 ladieswear collection which features current designs heavily influenced by clothing from the brand's archives. The navy dress with white flower was based on a 1960s swimsuit featuring the same pattern. The success of the range has been such that Jaeger is now planning a seasonal capsule collection based on previous eras of fashion, drawing inspiration from its archives.

Fashionista applauds this highly lucrative business plan which, if marketed correctly, could become a brand's identifying characteristic.

We've heard the message almost daily for longer than Fashionista can remember. We're in a recession. Fashion houses will need to cut costs as much as possible without losing the quality, design and craftsmanship for which they have become known and on which they crucially depend to maintain their reputation. It's not rocket science that designs which are a "tried and tested" success carry less risk than an entirely new design.

Another plus: re-using past designs shows that the brand's designs (and by inference, the brand) are iconic. They stand the test of time and transcend eras in the ever changing world of fashion. And what's more: revamping archived designs will attract those who may have bought the original design when it was first launched and who then drifted away from the brand, but nostalgia will now draw them back; it will attract those who loved the clothes of a particular era which may now be hard to find; and it will attract new customers who simply like the look of a design.

If it was iconic before, there's every chance it can be iconic again. Fashionista wonders what her readers think of the concept of revamping archived designs?

Viva Vintage!

Marks & Spencer has announced that to celebrate its 125th anniversary year, it will exhibit the highlights from its extensive archive collection in partnership with the University of Leeds. Through the exhibition Marks & Spencer will demonstrate how its designs have been woven into the social and cultural fabric of British life. Undoubtedly the M&S archive will have influenced British fashion.

Vintage designs are an increasing source of inspiration for modern designers. For example, this season, as reported in Vogue, the Eighties is a strong trend seen in a number of designer collections including Moschino, Balmain, Giles, Stella McCartney, Julien Macdonald and Gucci.

Fashionista notes that while, it is usually safe for designers to take inspiration from vintage designs that are sufficiently old that any relevant protection has expired (10-15 years for UK unregistered designs or 25 years for copyright works exploited by an industrial process) for well-known prints, it is conceivable that the original designer achieved a significant reputation in a particular design which could give rise to protection under the law of passing-off, if it led consumers to think there had been a collaboration between the retailer and the original designer, such as Celia Birtwell's recent collections for TopShop.

P.S. Those that currently supply M&S face some tough negotiations ahead. As Fashionista was writing this post, Drapers reported that M&S is looking to renegotiate terms with its European, South American and Far East suppliers in a bid to compensate for the weak sterling. For once, there is an advantage to being British!