There are so many stylists, bloggers and editors among the visible fan army that follows Marques Almeida - and wears the design duo's clothes religiously to the shows - that the pair must be doing something right. The audience for their Spring/Summer 15 collection was enough to establish that.
But what is it? On the catwalks were their hallmark boyfriend-style jeans with exaggeratedly deep turn-ups, their signature collarless and cropped denim jacket, and their easily recognisable long-line apron tops. They've done well to create a real design footprint so quickly, and that's presumably why they have such a following: because their clothes are fun, easy to wear and reliably cool. They'll fit into almost any wardrobe, any look, any occasion - not to be saved for best, but the sort of fashion one wears casually.
That idea certainly taps into their ethos - their clothes are reminiscent of a time when street fashion informed the kids first and foremost, rather than anything as banal as trends. That's why Marques Almeida collections always feel a little out of sync, they feel - and this is a good thing - like people wearing their own clothes.
In this collection particularly though, it felt that the pair had gone to extra lengths to make their pieces feel like design, rather than just clothes. There was a shimmer coating on denim that was subtly smart, and jewel detailing on gauzy tulle tops. These were cut into asymmetrical trails, and a chambray shirt stepped at the back to create a top in its own right that was also a layering piece. Dangling ties and string-backed tops channelled PJ Harvey, while the jeans felt a touch combat trousers at times, but this customer is young enough, perhaps, not to remember these from the first time round.
It's a nice idea, trying to up the fashion angle on pieces already working hard within their owner's day to day wardrobe, and it's a tactic not enough designers set store by. That and the fact that Marques Almeida pieces still hover around the more accessible end of the price scale will ensure that next season's show is just as packed with everyday examples of their work as this one was.
