Have we discussed the new M&S Leading Ladies campaign?

[KosherBacon]

In particular the poster and its terrible photoshop. Helen Mirren's arm looks six foot long and Tracey Emin is kind of floating on the grass. And don't get me started on Tracey Emin actually being in an M&S advert.

They had some of the clothes by the entrance to my local M&S and they looked crap. I wish they'd go back to using decent fabrics and not trying to compete with cheaper retailers and using polyester all the time. I'd happily pay 20% more if the quality was better.

Yesterday I glanced at a large window display picture of them all sitting in a car. I didn't notice who any of them are except that I was drawn to Helen Mirren as she looked ridiculous wearing some kind of Gestapo hat and bad make up.

I love Tracey Emin!

Didnt realise she was in it.

Must find the picture.

It wasn't a car, it must have been a boat I saw

news.sky.com/story/1130317/helen-mirren-models-m-and-s-autumn-collection

Dreadful pictures, they are all styled badly, look pissed off and are poorly positioned.

I bet they were all photographed separately then the pics were put together like a collage.

They've made her look like a drag queen

Tracey Emin looks so surly. Although I am pretty impressed with a few of the Autograph things in M&S at the moment. Not all, but some look v good.

That was my thought too, photographed individually against a blue/ green screen and then photoshopped into groups and different scenes.

They had the pink coat size 20 in Trostre yesterday. I tried it on in the blue. The blue is a most gorgeous shade of blue but not for a wool like coat. The sizing is off, my size was huge on me and I had half the shop laughing with my impression of Showaddywaddy.

I'm sure Ellie Goulding buys all of her outfits from M&S .

I find it really bizarre. They just don't seem to go together iyswim. It just seems a bit random with half of them looking at the camera, half of them staring into the distance and Tracy emin just looking bemused.

Don't believe most of them would shop at M and S in RL so lacking in credibility.

Also, as others have said the few pieces that do look OK are not in RL mostly because of cheap and nasty looking and feeling polyesterish fabric. Would be happy to pay a bit more for quality.

And it has also rather detracted from my respect for those celebs I usually admire, eg Helen Mirren. Seems a bit greedy somehow as It can only have been the dosh that motivated them surely, not love of M and S 'style'.

The boat picture looks like a bunch of Social Services workers en route to a tribunal because they have stuffed up.

No offence to social service workers.

You can't really see the outfits, none of them look very pleased at all.

How would any of those pictures entice you to come instore and buy the clothes.

at SundaySimmons' comparison

It is a spectacularly awful campaign. I recognise Helen Mirren (dire outfit), Tracey Emin (really? modelling clothes for M&S??), and I think the bra wifie from Glasgow (Michelle someone?) might be in there. Don't have a clue who the others are

M&S need to focus on good quality and good design - I want to buy from them, but I'm not really ready for the dubious delights of Per Una or Indigo, and their Autograph range is overpriced.

The autograph range is priced as if it were natural materials not polyester. A silk blouse in Banana Republuc is the same price as a polyester one in Autograph. Which one would you get?

Sunday your analogy is spot on!

Tracey Emin looks totally bored and wrong. I don't see her wearing that bloody horrendous red checked acrylic monstrosity of a jumper except for a large amount of cash under duress.

The models

Among those photographed are the actress Dame Helen Mirren, artist Tracey Emin, author Monica Ali, Olympic champion boxer Nicola Adams and creative director of US Vogue Grace Coddington.

Helen Mirren- possibly buys some things from M&S but not that fricking hat, I'm pretty sure!

Tracey Emin- I like Tracey but she is not mainstream and m&s is mainstream so she is a poor choice to represent their clothes. Plus she is unlikely to shop there. Except for their wine.

Monica Ali- an author. Works from home, writing so probably wears sweat pants and a onesie. Not an inspirational choice to dress like someone who works from home. ;)

Nicola Adams - sorry love, never heard of you.

Grace Coddington- a woman who has access to every designer under the sun does not ever buy any item of clothing from m&s. ever.

Ballerina Darcey Bussell, supermodel Karen Elson, singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding and charity campaigner Katie Piper also feature in the latest M&S campaign.

Darcy Busell - figure of a gazelle, married to a multimillionaire banker. Would not ever shop at m&s unless its for the salad and champagne.

Karen Elson- none of us will ever look like her so its pointless having her model clothing as she would look good in a bin bag.

Katie piper- I didn't recognise her from the photos. Truly admirable woman who has endured a hellish attack and many operations etc, but the stylist in the shoot has made her look like all the other bland blondes that model.

Ellie goulding- laughing all the way to the bank. Ellie, her friends, her fans do not shop at m&s. ridiculous choice of model.

A few weeks ago I was sent an email from M&S asking for feedback on their proposed ads. There were 4 of them in total and they were all supremely awful (not all of them were of the 'famous' names - some were models). They must have had positive feedback from others who completed the survey as they ran them - I certainly didn't give good feedback.

One of the proposed ads was of models in a lovely countryside setting - I didn't really notice the clothes, but the sheep was quite cute.

Isn't Nicola Adams the boxer?

Sunday, you are on a roll!

The campaign demonstrates how bad M&S clothes make you look.

On a plus, M&S have expanded their beauty section and stock some fab ranges now.

The campaign demonstrates how bad M&S clothes make you look.

nailed it Tweet

Apart from the hideous clothes and styling, there's something about what they're up to that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It's supposed to be about taking women seriously, I think? but they are referring to them as ladies and frantically trying to avoid any mention of feminism (good piece about it all on Woman's Hour a few weeks back).

And it's just such a bizarre rag bag of women. I'd love to see who they really wanted, vs who they've actually got. Love Grace, Tracey, Karen - but the random combo and having sodding Ellie Goulding in there for me strips it of both gravitas and humour. Maybe I just find using women whose achievements lie elsewhere to push fashion problematic.

And Helen Mirren can fuck off after what she said about rape.

I go into m&s and could be their target customer. But if I like the style of something the colour or fabric is hideous. If I like the colour, the style or finishings are naff.

The sizing is hit and miss. The coats come up huge.

It's the colours that particularly annoy me, they are always just not quite right. Often, old lady shades and tones.

I know the mannequins are all tall and skinny but when you walk round the store every single mannequin has the clothes pinned at the back giving the clothes a completely unrealistic look.

They would do better if the clothes on the mannequins hung like real clothes and they had mannequins in all different sizes. After all they are supposed to cater for women of all sizes and shapes.

I'd like to see them pare the ranges down, concentrate on decent basics and classic styles. Burn all those frou frou cardigans and waterfall monstrosities. The colours are really bad, rust, rust is called rust because its the colour of er rust which I associate with aging! Mustard, dark teal and salmon are like the insides of an old people's home.

I tried on what could have been a smart car coat and it had hideous cheap looking silver poppers and an impractical shiny zipper.