ELLE Exclusive: We've been to & Other Stories

It can’t have escaped your notice that team ELLE is pretty excited about the launch of & Other Stories. The new high street label from the teams that bought us H&M and Cos has been three years in the making, and it’s been more than six months since we learnt of its impending existence. But now, at long last, the time has finally come - the store opens tomorrow. And we’ve already been inside.

We headed to Regent Street yesterday to prowl the shop floor ahead of anyone else, accompanied by the brand’s creative director, Sara Hildén Bengtsson, and ready to wear designer, Colombe Campana. And, hard as it was, we managed to resist simply compiling a personal shopping list to bring you all you need to know about the store:

1. The store itself is light and airy and positively huge, arranged over two floors. It has an industrial feel to it thanks to its bare floors, exposed fixtures and the white metal stairs. It’s been stripped back to make shopping as easy as possible.

2. It’s a one-stop shop. Alongside the clothes you’ll find lingerie, shoes, bags, jewellery, skincare products and make-up.

3. There are four different clothing collections to choose from, the idea being that you mix and match to create your own style. ‘There's one that's more industrial, one that's more poetic and dandy, like mixing feminine, womanly pieces with masculine inspiration,’ explains Colombe. ‘And there's a more feminine and glamorous collection and another one which is more tailored and strong.’ Adds Sara, ‘We don't want to be directive at all. It's important to have these four different directions as a tool in a way