“It’s a running joke on The Telegraph’s fashion desk that I can largely be found wearing M&S (the new season dropping every year is my version of the Met Gala). Did I buy a couple of pieces from last year’s Bella Freud collection? Of course I did, and I have pleasingly worn the pieces throughout this year. I was, therefore, really excited to try the new collection.
“It doesn’t disappoint: the thicker wool-cashmere jumper is just cosy enough with a cool boxy shape and unusual colour palette. My two-year-old daughter Marni skipped out of nursery early to try out some of the new kidswear, too; the designs make a nice change from the usual pink, sparkly unicorn clothing aimed at her age group on the high street.”
As for the women’s slogans, there’s “Wham bam”, “Kind!” and “Dance”. Selecting the words and phrases is a fine art – especially for a collection that needs to embody Freud’s signature playful wit without alienating high street shoppers.
“Sometimes it takes months for them to come out,” she says. “It’s about finding new things that seem to be related to how we’re all feeling at the moment. You want something that resonates but that you can also adopt for yourself. I like to have words that are independent, so someone might think of it as one thing and someone else as another.”
Clearly, Freud has inherited her great-grandfather’s flair for interpretation.
