It’s the last place that you’d expect to find a designer label, but now you can…bag a Ghost dress for less at M&S
- Duchess of Cambridge and Carrie Symonds have been spotted wearing Ghost
- British brand has partnered with M&S for a ten-piece, limited-edition collection
- Dresses from mainline cost around £150, whereas M&S line costs around £70
Despite the gloom hanging over the fashion industry, there have been a few success stories and one of them is Ghost.
While other fashion labels have languished in the lockdown doldrums, it has been springing up all over.
There’s the Duchess of Cambridge doing the Clap For carers in the £129 Anouk dress by Ghost — which promptly sold out; and there’s Carrie Symonds watching partner Boris Johnson give his first speech at Downing Street and she’s in the £120 Luella dress by Ghost.
Anna Pursglove picked out a selection of the best pieces from Ghost’s collaboration with M&S. Pictured: Dress, £69, marks andspencer.com; boots, £350, reiss.com; necklace, £22, orelia.co.uk; earrings (worn throughout), £61, pdpaola.com
Pictured left: Dress, £79; boots, £110, boden.co.uk. Pictured right: Dress, £69, and rollneck, £17.50, also M&S; boots, £250, reiss.com
So, it’s rather enterprising of Marks & Spencer to have bagged Ghost for a pre-Christmas collaboration because, let’s be honest, traditional partywear was never going to be a big seller this year. After all, what’s the point of sequin-encrusted frippery if it’s only going to be seen by the cat? A vintage-inspired Ghost dress though . . . now that’s something you can work into your wardrobe all year round. Just ask Holly Willoughby.
Maddy Evans, head of womenswear buying for M&S, describes the exclusive designs as ‘versatile’ and adds they are intended to be ‘dressed up or down; taking you through winter and beyond’.
For those not familiar with Ghost, what’s all the fuss about? As a fashion editor friend puts it: ‘Ghost walks a clever line between “sexy” and “girly”, managing to be feminine and grown-up without being boring. Fashion labels often claim to be timeless, but Ghost really is. I’d happily wear it as would my mum; it really does suit any age.’
Dress, £59, and roll-neck, £17.50; shoes, £215, russellandbromley.co.uk
Dress, £69, and roll-neck, £17.50; boots, £250, reiss.com
Dress, £79; boots, £350, reiss.com
To that end, the dresses in this ten-piece, limited-edition collection are not particularly trend-led, although there are hints of details from the autumn/winter catwalks such as the white Peter Pan collars, seersucker bodices, frilled cuffs and wrap styles. And three of the designs have been adapted for kids, representing Ghost’s first foray into childrenswear. Princess Charlotte hasn’t been snapped in one yet, but it’s surely only a matter of time.
Although Ghost isn’t a particularly expensive label, the M&S designs are considerably cheaper. A midi-dress from Ghost mainline will set you back around £150, whereas one from the M&S collection comes in at around £70.
And we couldn’t help noticing that one of the dresses in the new collection (pictured above, third from left) bears more than a passing resemblance to that now-famous Anouk dress the Duchess of Cambridge wore. Don’t tell anyone, though. Not until you’ve ordered yours, anyway.
Dress, £69; boots, £350, reiss.com
M&S X Ghost womenswear launches exclusively online at marksandspencer.com on Wednesday.