British glamour has always had a hint of mischief to it. The kind of night-out sparkle that is not
about being perfect, but about being seen. When Marks & Spencer announced its collaboration
with 16Arlington, the London label with a cult following for feather-trimmed dresses and after-dark
confidence, the spotlight was back on maximalism. After years of minimalism, wellness culture, and
“quiet luxury”, the girls are getting dressed again. Properly.
The collection, now live, is a 40-piece ode to the art of going out. Sequins that catch light like a
disco ball memory, faux-leather that moves like it belongs in a room with live DJ sets, and coats
with a knowing amount of drama. It is not subtle, and that is exactly the point.
“When we design, it’s always about the feeling of stepping into your evening self,” said Marco
Capaldo, co-founder of 16Arlington, in the official launch statement. “This collaboration is about
bringing that spirit to everyone—no matter where their night takes them.”
(Source: Marks & Spencer official collaboration press release, January 2025)
This collection is not just shiny; it is a response to a cultural shift. It does not democratize luxury by
watering it down. It lets more women access the mood of luxury: the confidence, the ease, the
empowerment, without the four-figure price tag. And if there is anything VOIR women understand,
it is that fashion is not about cost: it is about control of the narrative.
Marks & Spencer, meanwhile, isn’t playing accidental cool girl. The brand has been strategically
repositioning itself for the past three years. “This partnership felt natural,” said Maddy Evans,
M&S Womenswear Director. “16Arlington’s modern occasion-wear complements how our
customer lives now: she wants glamour she can actually wear.” (Source: Marks & Spencer press
comments to media, 2025)
What makes this collaboration feel culturally relevant is how it reframes the occasion. Dressing up
is no longer reserved for weddings, birthdays, or New Year’s Eve. The modern woman dresses for
the performance of daily life: the gallery opening, the late dinner, the well-lit grocery store run, she
might bump into her ex at.
Perhaps that is the genius of 16Arlington’s touch: it reminds us that dressing up was never really
about the party. It’s about the self that shows up for it.
Sequins are back. Feathers are back. Drama is back. But they are not back to impress anyone.
They’re back because this season, women are reclaiming pleasure as a ritual. Glamour, not as
costume, but as personal infrastructure. The M&S × 16Arlington woman does not ask for attention;
she commands it.
Fabiana Gutierrez
