Don’t get me wrong. I love affordable fashion. But it’s not often that a high-street collection is so good, so elevated, so on-trend, that it can easily hold its own in a runway show during one of the most famous fashion weeks in the world. COS just pulled that off with finesse, for the second time. The brand showed its A/W 22 collection at New York Fashion Week on Tuesday (it showed in London this time last year) with the city skyline as a backdrop and A-list models such as Paloma Elsesser showcasing the clothes.
We’ve known for a while that COS was special and definitely on the more expensive-looking end of the high street, but in recent seasons—I think my fellow editors would all agree—the brand has taken it to another level with beautifully functional yet elegant pieces, unique designs, top-class tailoring and quality that usually comes with a much higher price tag. The collection just shown was a reflection of this. It was truly sensational and much-deserving of its place on the packed NYFW schedule.