Banish all images of Michelin Men and Italian winter exchange students: the puffa jacket is back for AW12 – and it’s had a makeover.

and Christopher de Vos heralded its return on the London catwalks at fashion week. Cropped at the waist, with structural collars and featuring the brand’s signature digital prints, the jacket is an abbreviated version of its former self – and infinitely more stylish.

‘We were really excited about the down jackets this season,’ enthused Christopher de Vos, ‘It’s fun to design something that’s out of your comfort zone. That’s why we collaborated with a factory in Austria. We had to – if we had attempted to do it in the studio we would have had feathers flying everywhere!’
For Peter Pilotto, delving into the realm of sportswear was all about finding a new balance between slinky and sporty: ‘I loved the idea of a girl wearing a really elegant cocktail dress for evening and just throwing a down jacket on top. It’s cool, and very bold.’

The designers were speaking at the pre-order sale of their collection Townhouse 23 - Matches' personal shopping venue in Marylebone - where, they said, the orders for the little down jackets were pouring in. ‘It’s amazing the response we’ve had to them. But the best thing about them is not how cute they look – wait until everyone sees how light and warm they are – they might not want to go back to their old winter coats.’