CATHERINE JOBLING
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

THE UMBRA
DRESS

‘The idea of the collection was a celebration of some of the best pieces of the past, but reinvigorating them in a modern way. I absolutely love the Umbra dress. It’s got some ruching and some leather trim on the sleeve… I think that is a stunning piece.’

THE IDEA

The concept of The Archive Collection came about during the design process for autumn/winter 2024. ‘Our creative direction for the season was about going back to where it all started and taking inspiration from the brand's journey,’ says Rebecca Nye, design director for womenswear and menswear. ‘We naturally started looking back at our archive, and the brand’s beginnings in 1994,’ says Stella Mosley, head of menswear design.

The team’s personal memories provided inspiration, too: ‘Many of the design team have very strong memories of styles from the past which they loved, so it seemed natural to reinvent and bring back some of our favourites,’ she adds. The result is a limited-edition collection of pieces based on styles from the extensive AllSaints archive, some of them direct replicas, and others tweaked and refined to suit a 2024 wardrobe.

STELLA MOSLEY
HEAD OF MENSWEAR DESIGN

THE EKTARR
JUMPER

‘It’s hard to pick a favourite piece, but for me it is the Ektarr Crew. The original knit, which shares the name, was the first style we designed with intentional ladders and damage, which then became a signature look for AllSaints knitwear. This style looks just as at home now as it did 10 years piece.’

THE PROCESS

The team went back to the original pieces, sourcing a sample and looking closely at the materials and fit. ‘It was really important to look at garments on the body to make sure they still felt current and right for our 2024 customer,’ says Mosley. ‘We also needed to re-source all the fabrics and materials. Sometimes we matched closely to the original, sometimes an archive shape was reimagined in a new fabric.’

REBECCA NYE
DESIGN DIRECTOR

THE JAYDA
DRESS

‘The Jayda dress is a favourite. We have kept the style really true to the original but updated the fabric to be a sustainable silk EcoVero base.The style features an exposed branded zip at the neckline and can be worn in multiple ways depending on how you style the front ties.’

THE

COLLECTION

If you notice some old favourites in the collection, you won’t be alone. ‘All the archive styles have a story to tell,’ says Nye. ‘A lot are favourites that the team have owned in the past and still treasure. We had some of the original styles hidden in the design studio – some we re-sourced from vintage sites.’ And the good news is that the process of bringing back the archive to life won’t end here. She adds, ‘Once we started the process, it sparked more and more ideas. So you are likely to see archive pieces reimagined in seasons to come!’

STELLA MOSLEY
HEAD OF MENSWEAR DESIGN

THE ROCK
SHIRT

‘I love the Rock Shirt, which has been reimagined in denim – the original version was leather – and updated with some slightly simplified details. We wanted the statement pocket shape to be the main feature, but we opted for a denim fabric which we know our customers love.’