What makes Sienna Miller’s style so covetable, 20 years after she was spotted at Glastonbury in a black mini dress with a vintage studded belt thrown around her hips while dating boyfriend Jude Law?
It’s something to do with the actress’s ability to still give every item she wears a delicious, bohemian spin. Like Sixties fashion icon Jane Birkin, Sienna has a way of making clothes look impish and surprising.
That effortless style has inspired millions of women across the world, including me, a 45-year-old former editor of Elle.
Sienna Miller attends the Ralph Lauren Wimbledon party in 2011
Now, Marks & Spencer is letting each and every one of us buy a piece of Sienna’s wardrobe as she launches her new capsule collection for the store on Thursday. From delicate, prairie-style tops with cute little peaked shoulders to soft, bias-cut dresses that skim the floor, this is a collection worth queuing round the block for.
The actress at Kensington Palace in 2021
The Ombre dress from her collection (£65)
M&S, which is on something of a roll at the moment, has spent the last few months working with the 42-year old actress — who recently gave birth to her second child; her first Marlowe is now aged 10 — hoping it will bring in the crowds.
Last year the company saw a resurgence in profits, making it the UK’s top womenswear retailer for the first time in four years. And it’s no coincidence that Sienna was the face of its successful autumn/winter ‘23 campaign.
Ms Miller in a blue ruffled Chloe gown at Cannes this year
Blue ruffle dress (£89) from her collection
Sources at the brand say the collection – which majored in perfect, oversized suiting and beautiful tailored coats – helped usher in a new, younger audience.
That’s not to say M&S is without its detractors, however. Patrick Grant, fashion entrepreneur and presenter of hit BBC show The Great British Sewing Bee, recently launched a scathing attack on the brand after a crew member bought him a pair of Autograph socks, which he described as ‘synthetic-y, flabby and bloody horrible.’
Ms Miller at Oswald’s private club in Mayfair in 2021
Print mini dress (£55) Bag (£49.50) from the collection
‘The jumpers that I bought from Marks & Spencer in the 80s, I’ve still got some of them,’ he went on to say. ‘They’re brilliant. And the jumpers that you buy now, that are £30 from Marks & Spencer, they’re total sh*t… they’re not the same thing.’
Quality is something the M&S team say they’ve gone to great pains to get right in this collaboration with Sienna. The jeans feel thick and luxurious, the shoes substantial, while the delicate tops feel as expertly crafted as those you’d find in far more expensive retailers.
The actress in New York in 2013
Green jacket (£39.50) and belt (£29.50) from the collection
In fact, not since Alexa Chung joined forces with M&S for two ‘Archive by Alexa’ collections back in 2016 have I seen such an authentic, well-made celebrity collaboration.
So what can you expect? Well, I was I lucky enough to be one of the first people in the country to get a sneak preview of the entire range, which encompasses a bit of everything from Ms Miller’s wardrobe.
As you’d expect, there are lots of bohemian pieces – a cropped padded jacket in a batik-style print, as well as a couple of sweet little cotton tops that are exactly the sort of things you hope (but fail) to find in a Provencal flea market while holidaying in France.
Ms Miller spotted out and about in New York City in 2013
Top (£39.50) Belt (£29.50) and Jeans (£49.50) from the M&S Collection
There’s a hand-beaded shift dress that has more than a nod to the babydoll dress she wore to the premiere of her film Factory Girl back in 2007. And the cutest pair of Western-style mules that are a clear homage to the multiple Western boots Sienna has worn over the years.
I particularly liked a beautiful military jacket that is almost identical to one she’s been photographed in while out and about the streets of New York in 2021. Oh and a stand-out spaghetti-strap maxi dress in a washed, peachy hue that has more than a hint of that dress we saw her in at Kensington Palace for a Theatre Artists fundraiser. (I am pretty sure this will be the piece to have.)
Ms Miller at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France
But what I like most about this collection is how pan-generational it feels, which is no easy feat. Younger buyers will love the cropped waists on the jackets, as well as the deeply flattering horseshoe-legged jeans. Older customers will love the white sailors trousers with drawstring detailing and the whimsical prairie-style blouses.
What’s more, it’s a collection that covers you for the entire holiday season and beyond with minimalist sandals, swimwear and the loveliest beaded shopper that will look perfectly at home whether your holiday is in Barbados or your back garden.
I’ll see you at the front of the queue.