Supermarkets have been upping their fashion game recently, starting to compete with the high street with expanded lines, elevated pieces, third party offers and celebrity-fronted collections.
In September, Sainsburys launched seven third-party brands in nine of its stores, dubbed “fashion hubs”, and launched a bridal collection under its in-house brand Tu, featuring wedding dresses retailing at as little as £22 as well as separates and suits. The same month, the supermarket launched its first ever menswear collaboration in partnership with musician and actor Martin Kemp. It now carries more than 30 fashion brands at Tu.co.uk and in its stores, including French Connection, Skechers, Sosander and FatFace.
Tesco is also expanding its fashion offer. Its in-house brand F&F is sold in 2,100 stores across 26 countries, and last month it launched a new young fashion sub-brand in select stores, featuring a trend-led collection of everyday wardrobe staples. In March, The Saturdays and Loose Women star Frankie Bridge began selling her women’s casualwear label FW Bridge in more than 300 Tesco supermarkets.
This fashion focus is bearing fruit. Last year the supermarket revealed that the number of customers purchasing its F&F clothing products had increased by 8% in the 26 weeks to 27 August 2022 compared with 2021. Clothing outperformed non-food sales, which declined 6% year on year.
Now Tesco is bolstering its offer again, with Clancy’s AW23 edit of separates and coordinated sets in tonal hues of silver, grey, camel, champagne, black and cream. Using fabrics such as lace, satin, fake leather, sequins, cotton and fake fur – all available in sizes 6-22 – it has a focus on smart daywear, winter outerwear, and party-led ocassionwear such as sparkling mini dresses and metallic sets.
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Available at selected Tesco stores, retail prices range from £14 for a ribbed cotton body to £55 for a cream fake fur jacket.
Drapers caught up with Clancy to hear more about the new edit and why celebrities and supermarkets are a winning fashion formula.
How did you select the pieces for this edit?
With it being party season, I wanted to make sure we had the standout pieces like the faux fur coat and silver trousers that you would never expect to see at your local supermarket!
I love working with the team at F&F, they really trust me and are supportive of my creative vision. From the fabrics and quality to the styles, everything has really gone up a gear [this season]. It has been great to work with them to bring my own personal style into the range.
What are the key pieces for you?
I would say the faux fur glam coat is a key standout piece in the collection. It is fully lined and super soft, and the shape and fit is just iconic!
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The silver trousers are also one of my must-have pieces. They are super versatile and easy to style up or down — for £22.50 you can’t go wrong. For the ultimate statement look, I love to style them both [fake fur jacket and silver trousers] together.
What do you think celebrity-fronted collections do for supermarket clothing brands?
I think it’s a great way to connect with shoppers and make it [the collection] accessible to everyone. I definitely think we [F&F and Clancy] reach new audiences with every edit.
When working with F&F it’s always so important that my style is reflected in the collection to keep it authentic and true. When my friends see me styling my edits they can’t believe it’s supermarket fashion.
Do you think clothes shopping habits have changed recently?
I think everyone is being smart with their shopping when it comes to fashion. Having versatile pieces in your wardrobe which last is key, that’s why it’s so great to be a brand ambassador for F&F who make stylish, quality fashion so accessible.
With high street shopping declining [last week the latest BDO High Street Tracker data showed that store sales for fashion fell by 3.72% from a base of 4.41% for the same week last year, marking the category’s fourth consecutive negative result in the last five weeks] it’s amazing that supermarkets like Tesco make it easy to get everything in one place.
You can get your weekly shop, your essentials and fashion for the whole family. It’s still so important to feel the quality and see the clothes.
What do you think consumers are looking for this season?
Tonal dressing is so stylish right now, especially coming into the party season. When bringing The F&F Edit together it was important we created the perfect party pieces that would last.
I think versatility is so key, and is also something that’s on everyone’s mind. Shopping separates are a great way to style different ways to get cost per wear. The silver sequin bomber jacket and midi skirt look great paired together, but you can also dress them separately with denim or knitwear. The fact you can shop both for under £50 and create so many different outfits is such great value.
What are the biggest influences for you when it comes to style?
I feel like building a capsule wardrobe is key when it comes to style. I am always so on the go – between work and our kids [Clancy has four children with her husband, former professional footballer and podcaster Peter Crouch] I need to make sure I can be ready in an instant.
I work with my stylist Karen Clarkson [who has also worked with musicians such as FKA twigs, Rita Ora and Christina Aguilera] who is incredible, and I am really into neutrals and a muted colour palette that can be styled together easily.
This was important when bringing this edit together – I wanted to make sure all the pieces fit together and could be styled together without customer’s having to think too much into it.
