Twiggy X Marks & Spencer

Twiggy will be unveiling a new womenswear collection for the high-street brand, for whom she has been the face since 2005, in April.

Twiggy is launching a womenswear line for Marks & Spencer. The model has been modelling for the brand since 2005.

"We started talking about it three years ago," says the still-amazing-at-62 Twiggy. "We all agreed it was a no-brainer, but it was just working up how they could place it. It started to come together at the end of last year."

  The starting point for the 43-piece collection was jackets. 

"I'm a skinny-jeans-and-jacket girl, so I said I want lots of nice jackets - I love my jackets," she laughs.

 She really does: sequinned, velvet, tweed, tuxedo - you name it, she's designed it for M&S. Plus, she's wearing a navy-blue blazer, stripy red-and-blue tee and skinny jeans from her label today. But she adds:

 "I couldn't just do clothes that only I love though - you have to think outside the box a bit. We've done wider jeans and trousers. Dresses are a huge selling point, because I think often a woman will go and buy a little dress. It's just easy, isn't it?" 

The line also includes bags and shoes true to Twiggy's taste.

 "I can't walk in high heels, so my shoes tend to be brogues, sneakers, sandals, little pumps. I can wear what I call 'court shoes': they are about 2 ½ inches high and I can walk in them."

Twiggy X Marks & Spencer

Those who pooh-pooh Twiggy as someone who's just lending her name to a collection which has been ghost-designed should reconsider: she's a skilled seamstress who makes her own clothes, and already has two clothing lines under her belt, including one she designed exclusively for a shopping channel in the US, which, according to her, was "their most successful new launch two years ago."

Then there's the detail she goes into. "I like narrow dresses, but I don't like them if they are too tight around the middle. Most of my dresses have got some sort of gathering in front which is just helpful around that tummy area," she says referring to the LK Bennett-ish, Duchess of Cambridge-worthy printed jersey wrap dresses. "I'm not just lending my name to these, I'm completely involved."

She's adamant that she didn't have a particular woman in mind when designing. "I don't want to [just position the collection for older women]. I feel very strongly that it's an ageless range. I hate it, and it's become an obsession […] putting ages on things. If an 18-year-old wants to buy a pair of these skinny jeans," she says, gesturing to her own pair, " why shouldn't she? Or if an 80-year-old woman wants to buy that sequinned jacket, then great, why not? I think it's for everyone. So I always say the range is from 18 to 80."

She was also adamant that the range be affordable; pieces start from £12.50 for a T-shirt to £79 for a jacket. "I'm a high-street shopper, always have been. That's why I'm thrilled to be doing this range with M&S, because I've always said that fashion should be affordable."

Because M&S's online is selling mega bucks, it will debut exclusively online first, on April 12. Mark it in your diaries, ladies.

Tiwggy for M&S will launch exclusively online on April 12; marksandspencer.com/twiggy

via telegraph.co.uk