LONDON — Bella Freud’s quirky slogans have arrived at Marks & Spencer.
The 27-piece collection features cashmere sweaters with the words Honey, Nature, Divine Feminine and Blue Sky written over them, as well as a pin-striped suit, pleated miniskirt, denim jeans, bow shirts, scarves and totes.
On Tuesday morning, the British designer celebrated the launch of the collection with an intimate breakfast and a panel talk with Caroline Issa, Tank Magazine’s chief executive and fashion director at Toklas, a Mediterranean restaurant near Covent Garden.
The breakfast table at Toklas for the Marks & Spencer and Bella Freud collaboration.
James D. Kelly
“I didn’t go to M&S that much when I was growing up because we never went anywhere [really]. We didn’t go to any shops and so my perception of it was this place where you could get all these cool, quality things that looked nice and were a bit boyish, which was always my thing since I was a child,” said Freud, whose soothing voice can also be found on her new podcast “Fashion Neurosis With Bella Freud.”
She explained that each word that she chose on the sweaters were considered. The word Honey was picked for its affectionate connotations and there was a slight nod to it with jars of M&S honey at the breakfast table.
“With Divine Feminine, I was in a meditation group one day and I heard it being said, I wrote it down. People go to women for this resource of feeling better and having better ideas,” Freud explained.
Bella Freud writing on one of the tote bags from her M&S collaboration.
James D. Kelly
The designer took the process of creating the collection extremely seriously and with heart, and was hesitant with the idea of adding denim jeans to the collection, but in the end came around to it. She didn’t want it to be a second line dilution, instead she wanted to apply the same thoughtfulness she adds to her own eponymous label, she said.
