Editors' Top Reads: News from M&S, ASOS, Topshop and more...

Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.

M&S cements fashion credibility with 16Arlington collaboration

Designer high street collaborations may be familiar territory, but few have felt as timely for party season as Marks & Spencer’s new partnership with 16Arlington. The 43-piece capsule, which landed this week, sees the heritage retailer continue its confident ascent in fashion credibility, bringing the London label’s distinctive glamour to the high street for the first time.

16Arlington’s bold, sculptural aesthetic - think feathers, embellishment, and sculptural tailoring - meets M&S’s refined, quality-driven sensibility in a collection that feels elevated yet accessible. From crystal-draped gowns to brushed cashmere knits, the pieces offer customers a taste of designer drama without compromising on wearability.

For me, what’s particularly interesting is the timing. M&S’s 16Arlington collaboration dropped on the very same day as H&M’s high-profile partnership with Glenn Martens, a designer synonymous with avant-garde, conceptual fashion.

It’s a bold move from the British retailer, one that quietly signals how far the retailer’s fashion credentials have come. After years of keeping pace with high street fashion, M&S is now setting its own fashion agenda. By launching side by side with a global fashion giant like H&M, it has positioned itself firmly within the same cultural conversation. This might just confirm that M&S is a serious contender where high street fashion is concerned.

Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.

More Brits to shop second-hand fashion this Christmas as spend on luxury labels drops

Consumers are approaching Christmas shopping with a focus on value and sustainability, increasingly favouring second-hand fashion over luxury brands. Cardlytics’ State of Spend: The Golden Quarter report, based on data from 23 million UK bank accounts and Opinium research, shows online fast fashion growth slowing from 22.7% in 2023 to 14.7% in 2024, high street fashion growing 3.6%, and luxury spending dropping 18.7%. Nearly a third of shoppers plan to use marketplaces, and 18% intend to buy second-hand, signalling resale is now mainstream.

Shoppers are mixing price points, platforms, and formats, prioritising practicality, sustainability, and value over brand loyalty. Gifting is becoming more selective, with 53% choosing personal or practical presents and only 11% buying luxury gifts.

Single-day events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are losing impact, with spending spreading across the weekends and promotional windows. In 2024, the Saturday after Black Friday saw a 27% rise in spend, and nearly a third of consumers plan to finish festive shopping before Black Friday.

Overall, spending is more considered and distributed across the season. Retailers that engage shoppers throughout the festive period rather than relying on short-term promotions are likely to perform best, with growth in resale, beauty, and discount grocery, while luxury fashion and department store spend continues to fall. Read more here.

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer. 

ASOS to launch ‘premium’ pop-up on London’s Carnaby Street

Intriguing to see that online fashion and beauty destination ASOS is heading to 10 Carnaby Street from 7–16 November with a rare pop-up shop showcasing over 200 pieces from its more premium offer.

However short-lived it may be, it’s sure to create quite a stir at a key trading time and no doubt boost online sales too, as all 200+ pieces will also feature in a dedicated website shop as well - for those ASOS fans who can’t make it to London.

Having a physical space where customers can actually try on pieces they like the look of ‘in the flesh’, so to speak, should also cut a fair amount of returns too (though in the grand scheme of things, it won’t make much of a dent in the volume of returns ASOS has to deal with on a daily basis!).

Spanning partywear, statement cold-weather pieces, beauty ‘heroes’ and gifting options, customers will also be able to try on outfits from the newly launched premium menswear line, ASOS Collective, the elevated ARRANGE collection, and the latest edits from Topshop and Topman.

Not only that, there will also be a handpicked selection from leading partner brands such as Good American, Carhartt WIP and AllSaints, as well as the second drop of the exclusive Adidas x ASOS collaboration.

On the beauty front, the space will spotlight Face + Body favourites from brands including Charlotte Tilbury, Medicube, Ouai and Bubble, with Face + Body goody bags handed out to one in every ten customers. Quite how that will work out, I’m not sure – but I guess a system will be in place. Good luck to the one in ten!

Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.

Topshop makes surprise early return to high street with John Lewis pop-ups

Surprise! Topshop's partnership with John Lewis is starting sooner than we first thought. After years of online-only existence under ASOS’s wing, the once-dominant high street icon is finally stepping back into physical retail with a surprise series of pop-ups across four John Lewis stores, ahead of a full-scale rollout in early 2026.

As someone whose teen years were typified by Topshop’s Oxford Circus heyday, this comeback feels both nostalgic and strategic.

Starting 3 November, the pop-ups in Oxford Street, Bristol, Leeds, and Liverpool will reintroduce the brand through a curated edit of about 30 pieces, refreshed weekly.  It’s clever timing as the festive season is approaching, which is of course when fashion retail thrives.

The full-scale relaunch next February will see Topshop in 32 John Lewis stores nationwide, with Topman in six, marking one of the most significant high street resurrections of recent years. ASOS’s digital dominance meets John Lewis’s physical trust - a fusion that could set a precedent for other online-first brands seeking tangible customer connection.

For now, the pop-ups offer a glimpse of the Topshop to come, just with an extra dose of sparkle for the season.

Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.