Marks & Spencer's Kate Bostock: the woman who dresses Britain's middle classes

Even the suggestion of such japes a little over a decade ago under Sir Richard Greenbury would have resulted in the guilty executive being banished to the darkest recesses of a Hebridean store's stockroom for ever more.

Bostock joined M&S in 2004 from Asda, the Wal-Mart-owned retailer where she ran the George clothing line and no doubt picked up some of her American style touchy-feeliness. The supermarket is notorious for its team-building, "high-five" culture.

She is now in charge of "everything that you can't eat" at M&S – its clothing, homewares and furniture. M&S is still the UK's biggest seller of clothes by value and volume, with sales of £3.6bn and a market share of over 11pc. As the person who dresses Britain's middle classes, Bostock arguably has the most important job in UK fashion.

M&S is now at the start of a new phase. Sir Stuart was replaced as chief executive last year by Marc Bolland, the Dutchman who formerly ran Wm Morrison supermarkets. On Tuesday, M&S is expected to report full-year pre-tax profits of £710m, up 12pc on last year, after a good year's trading. "We kept it confident," Bostock says.

Since Bolland joined he has been stamping his authority on the chain and implementing a new strategy that majors on international expansion, online growth and simplifying M&S's product ranges.

I meet Bostock – blue eyed, early 50s, Staffordshire-born, ebullient – at the launch of M&S' new autumn-winter ranges at its flagship Marble Arch store on London's Oxford Street. She rarely gives interviews. However, she says that the new fashion ranges, which are the first to have been conceived under the control of Bolland rather than Sir Stuart, provide the ideal opportunity for a chat.

Due to the "stopped clock" theory of fashion – that everything becomes trendy again eventually – many of the ranges on show look exactly like the contents of an old M&S shopper's wardrobe circa 1955. Stiff overcoats, fur trims, tweed and leather gloves are strongly in evidence. These ranges – labelled "Historical Romance" by M&S – sit next to 1960s pop frocks embellished with plastic discs, sheer black lace dresses and an extraordinary red shaggy jacket (imagine if Bagpuss was skinned and turned into a coat).

There are the new chest-enhancing "Flatter Me" bras, Belstaff-style mens' coats, and "lots of fur and skin". Bostock clearly loves the ranges and is herself sporting an orange £49.50 M&S Autograph dress that she designed.

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marks and spencers car insurance | Business and Finance Info

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Marks And Spensers History - Bookshelf

History of twentieth century fashion

History of twentieth century fashion

when the Utility scheme ended, fashions at Marks and Spencers began to be up- graded and ... In the process of development, Marks and Spencer extended their ...

History of Warrick, Spencer, and Perry Counties, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present ; together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc

History of Warrick, Spencer, and Perry Counties, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present ; together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc

... the Ballards, Ewings, Richardsons, Millers, Tates and Spencers belonging. ... and visited Tell City, (later) Troy, Rockport, St. Marks and St. Peters. ...

Language in the legal process

Language in the legal process

14 'If you were Standing in Marks and Spencers': Narrativisation and Comprehension in the English Summing-up Chris Heffer Directing the jury We were the ...

The study of dress history

The study of dress history

In 1982, the editorial board of Textile History changed the journal's title to ... and design at Marks and Spencers and book reviews which not only covered ...

The Annual review and history of literature

The Annual review and history of literature

But Camden has said, that Spenser returned to England poor ... Spensers Fairy Queen attempted in blank verse, with notes, critical and explanatory. Lond. ...

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