Marks & Spencer's 'Dress The Nation' design competition to return on ITV this autumn
Marks & Spencer has announced the return of the M&S: Dress The Nation fashion design competition on ITV1 and ITVX this autumn, once again to be presented by Vernon Kay and AJ Odudu.
The second series comes off the back of the success of series one in 2024, which was watched by eight million viewers.
Nine contestants, ranging from ages 22 to 59, will compete over five 60-minute episodes to secure an exclusive mentorship with M&S where they will work with some of the best in the industry across design, buying, merchandising and marketing.
In addition, the talented winner will have the opportunity to see their design sold exclusively in selected M&S stores and online for the AW25 season.
The new series will focus on womenswear and menswear, and each week a panel of judges will choose which contestants move forward to be one step closer to being crowned the winner.
Maddy Evans, Head of M&S Woman, and Mitch Hughes, Menswear Director, return to the judging panel as they cast their expert eye over the designs, where they will also be joined by a host of M&S ambassadors and celebrity judges, as well as some of the UK’s leading fashion designers.
The design challenge format was launched by M&S CEO, Stuart Machin, inspired by his love of fashion and passion for supporting people looking to start a career in retail "no matter what their life experience or background".
The series, created in partnership with ITV and South Shore productions, has once again opened the competition to individuals from all walks of life - formal qualification or training in fashion design is not essential.
Instead, the nationwide talent search favours creative flair, a willingness to learn and a true passion for design. Throughout the process, the candidates will work individually, as well as in groups, to design and create garments "that will be loved by the M&S customer".
Stuart Machin, CEO of Marks & Spencer, said: "At M&S we’ve spent the last three years improving our womenswear and menswear to be more stylish, even better quality and great value. To do this, we have attracted some of the best fashion talent in the UK to join our team, as well as developing our own brilliant in-house talent.
"With Dress The Nation, I wanted to show what our M&S designers look for and what it takes to create desirable fashion, with the aim of inspiring more would be designers to consider a career in this wonderful world of fashion, no matter what their background or formal qualifications."
David Olaniyi won the series last year and has been working in the menswear design team at M&S since last October. He said: "Winning Dress The Nation last year changed my life. I’ve always been passionate about designing clothing for the modern man, but being part of the menswear team has been a massive eye opener into how the retail industry operates on a day-to-day basis."
AJ Odudu commented: "Dress The Nation has heart, hustle, and enough fashion drama to keep you glued to the telly. It’s real people with proper talent, bringing their A-game."
Vernon Kay added: "Dress The Nation isn’t just about fashion - it’s about changing someone’s life forever whilst discovering more of their own confidence, creativity and talent."
