After refocusing the brands direction last year by hiring former Oscar de la Renta designer Sheila McKain-Waid and disbanding two of its lines: Boutique by Jaeger and Jaeger London, Jaeger releases a new collection, a first time under the new streamlined aesthetic. By focusing on quality fabrics and minimal shapes, McKain-Ward has created a line of future classics that will have women bringing the items back season after season.
“Less is more is the way forward: modern and contemporary, classically minimalist clothes in great fabrics, many of which are noble fibres. In autumn 2013 these made up only 30 percent of the product; for autumn 2014 the figure is 80 percent,” said McKain-Waid.
Adding to her statement: “For me it is about simplification; making things easier for the women who we are dressing. We have gone through an almost painful procedure, looking at function and detail, and have removed any detail that has no function or reason for being there.”
The new CEO Colin Henry‘s five-year plan is off restoring the brand to its core values, by having high quality clothing at premium prices instead of the luxury prices as the central focus. Henry has increased the percentage of Jaeger clothing production in the UK up to 5.5 percent this season from last year’s 2 percent.
Regardless of the UK’s weather, McKain-Waid states the besides the knitwear, another key item from the collection is the coat.
“I feel that throughout the history of the brand it has remained central in terms of sales. A woman needs a coat year-round in Britain – and traditionally so much of British life is lived outdoors – so this country has developed the fibres and great fabrics to cope with its weather: the woollens, the tweeds and the knits. Jaeger transformed necessity into luxury – and that feels so right for now,” said McKain-Waid
Well, we know who we’ll be wearing as soon as the days get chillier.
