Being a mum, the days of spending ridiculous money on clothes, handbags and shoes are long gone. Reluctant to completely let go of my life before children I am still a faithful Grazia reader, keeping up to date with the latest fashion collections, who is wearing what and where I can buy it. In a recent issue I came across a full page spread advertising Clarks shoes. The old media buyer in me had to question the placement of the ad. Clarks? In a fashion magazine?

My mum, who is in her early 60s has a slight obsession with Clarks, every time she is visiting from Sweden she has already checked out the website and has a long shopping list for herself as well as half of her friends, because ‘ They are just such good quality and very comfortable’. And I suppose this is the image I have of them, good quality and comfortable, but hardly fashionable?

In the current climate more and more brands see the need to branch out, looking at new segments of the market, but how do they do this without alienating the old ones?

Marks and Spencer, who traditionally are considered an ‘older’ fashion brand, are very good at this. They always include a range of women at different stages of their lives in their TV advertising. In fact, their most recent campaign is of two women, one older and one younger both getting ready for their dates. They also work hard making sure that their fashion collections are in fitting with their respective segment.

In a bid to follow suit Clarks has teamed up with Mary Portas, the ‘Queen of shops’, to create a new shoe collection, as well as a complete re-vamp of their other women’s shoes collections. The results? The excited noises from my female colleagues when checking out the website speaks for itself. They have a range of very fashionable shoes and boots that most fashion conscious 18-35 year olds would most definitely consider wearing. And teamed with their traditional brand values of good quality and comfort, puts them onto a definite winner! Perhaps the next time my mum is visiting I might even join her on her trip to Clarks?