Exclusive: Osman Yousefzada hits Selfridges

The collection of 10 little black dresses goes on sale exclusively in Selfridges' Oxford Street store in London this week - and will be available worldwide in 35 countries from next week, so that includes a high street near you!

Mango was the official sponsor of Osman's London fashion week show last month and has worked with the designer on his eponymous label for several seasons, so it was the natural partner to help Osman, in his words, "take his vision to a wider audience".

The idea, he explained was to concentrate on the black dress in order to create a "super edited, strong collection with a clear identity." The focus on dresses alone also meant that he did not have to compromise on the quality of his fabrics, producing beautiful pieces in natural fibres like silk and viscose for around £50.

"I'm about clean, architectural lines and didn't want to dumb that down" says Osman, "so the fabric was really important. It needed to be good quality to achieve that great silhouette."

The dresses combine simple wearability with a touch of high octane catwalk glamour - in particular the gold necked shift pictured here, as modelled by Alice Dellal this morning, which echoes Osman's catwalk collection from a/w 07 and a black, chiffon baby-doll with Osman's signature colour, electric blue peeping form the hem.

"That dress was inspired by my first collection and was the first Osman Yousefzada dress that Selfridges put in their window" the designer revealed. "There was a waiting list after they put that in the window!"

And we predict this new incarnation will sell out fast too.

Osman Yousefzada for Mango is in Selfridges London now. And hits Mango stores worldwide on March 17th.

By Laurelle Gilbert

Posted: 11 March 2008