Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn moreTen years ago, the only thing from Marks & Spencer I would confess to owning was underwear. These days no one is surprised when the most stylish person in the room is wearing Marks and wearing it proudly.Editors, stylists, and celebs are all seen in it. Key pieces sell out in days.That extraordinary transformation from dependable but dull to covetable reaches its pinnacle this September, when M&S will make its London Fashion Week debut. To mark 100 years of selling clothing, the retailer will unveil a ‘see now, buy now’ collection of womenswear and menswear.But it’s already been a year of firsts. After a catwalk show in Ibiza earlier this year to kick off its summer campaign, M&S showed up at Silverstone last week and turned the pit lane into a runway ahead of the British Grand Prix.Just a few years ago, any one of those moments would have been unthinkable.In September 2019, M&S dropped out of the FTSE 100 for the first time since the index was created in 1984. The retailer was closing around 120 stores and its share price had slumped to a near 20-year low.The figures reflected what many shoppers already believed: M&S had lost its way.Then, towards the end of 2019, came the first signs of change. Maddy Evans joined as head of buying following a successful spell at Topshop, bringing with her a much-needed sartorial sparkle.Later promoted to womenswear director in 2022, she sharpened the product – a carrot trouser here, a studded ballet pump there – elevated the styling and created a more fashion-led offering. M&S has become genuinely stylish again without alienating the loyal customer who made it one of Britain’s biggest High Street names in the first place. Pictured: Dinah in her M&S leather jacket and Jaeger dress The turning point came towards the end of 2023. M&S had officially left its frumpy reputation behind, re-entered the FTSE 100 and once again reclaimed its crown as the UK’s biggest womenswear retailer.All of a sudden, I was seeing M&S on colleagues, across my social media feeds and on my most stylish friends. And on top of that – and even more surprising – it suddenly became hard to get your hands on.A pair of brown suede loafers sold out online over and over again. I went on a pilgrimage to get mine, visiting multiple stores until I finally found a pair. From wide-leg jeans to an iconic trench coat, M&S was everywhere.Indeed, denim was the M&S gateway drug, starting from just £24 in every style imaginable. Even the snobbiest fashion editor couldn’t help but be seduced by the Chloe-esque wide-leg palazzos for £46.I found myself reaching for my Autograph black leather bomber jacket almost every day. Part of the brand’s 25th anniversary Autograph collection from October 2025, it’s still one of the hardest-working pieces in my wardrobe.And then the A-listers got in on the act. Actress Sienna Miller became the face of M&S for AW23 before the retailer launched its sell-out Bella Freud collaboration in 2024.Last year, presenter Claudia Winkleman fronted a major campaign and, in March this year, actress Gillian Anderson joined the brand as its Chief Compliments Officer – a made-up, ‘playful’ role to spread positivity, we were told – for the ‘Love That’ campaign. Twee as it sounds, the first ‘Love That’ capsule collection generated more than £580,000 in sales in its first week alone. Improvements to both the in-store and online shopping experience have also played a huge part in M&S’s revival.So too have its third-party brand partnerships, which have helped attract a broader demographic of shoppers.The retailer now stocks more than 100 third-party brands across fashion, beauty and sportswear, including premium labels such as Hush, Whistles and Jigsaw.Yes, M&S now fills that previously gaping hole on our High Street. It offers the same grown-up, elevated design as COS and Massimo Dutti, but at a much more affordable price, and delivers the trend-led speed we expect from H&M and Zara, but with a level of quality that means clothes last far beyond a handful of washes.What’s more, M&S has become genuinely stylish again without alienating the loyal customer who made it one of Britain’s biggest High Street names in the first place.Here’s how they did it, piece by piece, in eight hero designs that effectively re-built the shop’s reputation. And read on for the five ultra-stylish new buys I’ll be adding to my wardrobe this summer.1. The Brown Suede LoafersI’m a huge fan of high-low dressing (mixing designer and High Street brands), but shoes had always been the ‘high’ part of my outfit – until M&S released its brown suede loafers in November 2024. They quickly became the unofficial uniform of the fashion industry. There wasn’t a fashion editor I knew who didn’t own a pair. At just £55, they would disappear almost as quickly as they arrived, with repeated restocks unable to keep up with demand. It’s rare for an affordable shoe to create genuine fashion-industry hysteria, but these managed it.2. The Autograph Leather Bomber Jacket I’ve never received as many compliments on a single item of clothing as I have on my Autograph leather bomber jacket, £250I’ve never received as many compliments on a single item of clothing as I have on my Autograph leather bomber jacket, £250. It’s a step up from the biker, crafted from butter-soft leather with dropped shoulders, an oversized collar and covered buttons that make it look considerably more expensive than it is.I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve asked if it’s designer brand Acne (which would have cost thousands). Wonderful to reply, ‘No, it’s M&S’.3. Sienna Miller’s White SuitSienna Miller’s first collection for M&S in AW23 was a sell-out success, but I still wasn’t convinced. Then she arrived at the launch of her second collection wearing a crisp white three-piece suit and everything changed.The loose wide-leg trousers, tailored waistcoat and fitted blazer looked effortlessly chic, and the entire outfit could be bought for under £300. A pivotal moment.4. The Wide-Leg JeansWhen exaggerated wide-leg jeans first appeared at the end of 2023, I wasn’t prepared to spend hundreds trying a trend I wasn’t sure would suit me. M&S’s £30 pair let me experiment without the designer price tag, and they’re still going strong two years later. M&S says it’s selling the equivalent of ten pairs of jeans every minute – and looking at its denim offering, I can believe it. Although it’s slightly terrifying to think where they all end up …5. The Cross-Body Bag Celine’s classic cross-body bag was at the top of every fashion editor’s wishlist when M&S created their £35 lookalike in October 2023Celine’s classic cross-body bag was at the top of every fashion editor’s wishlist when M&S created their £35 lookalike in October 2023. The design was as gorgeous as the original, albeit in faux leather, complete with gold hardware and available in four unique colours. Unsurprisingly, they sold out almost immediately.6. The Bella Freud Silk Shirt The collaboration with designer Bella Freud was another watershed moment. When it launched in October 2024, I was kicking myself for not moving quickly enough to secure the 100 per cent silk shirt with its signature black tie detail, £99 The collaboration with designer Bella Freud was another watershed moment. When it launched in October 2024, I was kicking myself for not moving quickly enough to secure the 100 per cent silk shirt with its signature black tie detail, £99.By lunchtime on launch day, most of the collection – including the infamous slogan jumpers – had already sold out. 7. The Drop-Waist Jaeger Dress M&S-owned Jaeger introduced a beautifully cut drop-waist dress with a sleeveless tailored bodice flowing into a pleated skirt for £150Eveningwear was the one category I’d never have considered buying from M&S. It could dress me for work, weekends and holidays, but not a fancy event. That changed this summer when M&S-owned Jaeger introduced a beautifully cut drop-waist dress with a sleeveless tailored bodice flowing into a pleated skirt for £150. I was sceptical about how it would fare in the washing machine, but I’ve washed and worn it multiple times and it looks just as good as it did on its first outing.8. The Woven Co-OrdUnmistakably Bottega-inspired, the woven faux-leather co-ord (above) was one of the stand-out looks for SS26.The double-breasted blazer, £40, was seriously chic but it was the £32 woven mini skirt that everyone wanted. It disappeared almost instantly, with buyers reportedly averaging 12 years younger in age than the traditional M&S customer –which poses the question: Is M&S winning over a whole new generation?Get these before they go!