LONDON (Brand Republic) 鈥 Marks & Spencer has rolled out a range of goods with separate branding for the first time in the retailer鈥檚 history.
The MM Martyn Maxey range of hair-care products and accessories will bear the stylist鈥檚 name, which goes against the company鈥檚 policy not to name contributing designers on its products.
Julien Macdonald, Betty Jackson and Katherine Hamnett have all designed clothes for M&S鈥檚 prestige Autograph collection, but their names do not feature on the clothes or on in-store branding.
The move has been seen as the first sign that M&S may follow the lead of Debenhams, which uses its association with key designers such as Ben de Lisi to drive sales.
M&S said the introduction of the range was 鈥渢he latest weapon鈥 in its campaign to revamp its image.
Beauty business director Jacqueline Paterson said the company鈥檚 strategy was to develop 鈥渋nspirational products鈥.
鈥淲e will underpin this by bringing in leading experts on specific areas,鈥 she said.