Topshop's designer collaboration with Marques' Almeida out today

Marques’ Almeida is the latest brand to team up with Topshop, with a collection that has the Nineties at its heart, says Emma Akbareian

More dash, less cash: all clothing Marques’ Almeida @ Topshop, prices range from £15 - £250 topshop.com

The combination of high-street brand and designer name is a winning formula, but unlike most retailers which seek to harness the brand power behind a big name, Topshop has taken a more thoughtful approach to such collaborations.

Instead of opting for super brands, it chooses to support up-and-coming labels at a time when monetary aid and a platform for promotion is most needed. Marques’ Almeida is the newest label to add its name to a venerable list of new designers previously given the Topshop treatment, including Meadham Kirchhoff, Richard Nicoll and Mary Katrantzou.

A Portuguese duo, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida, are the London-based couple behind the brand, which first launched in 2011.

The 68-piece collection for Topshop is heavily influenced by the 1990s. “We’ve always focused our research around teenagers and what we call the ‘youth code’ of dressing since we started the brand, working on this collection meant we could go back and dig deep into those archives, finding old editions of i-D and The Face, Corinne Day and Kate Moss shoots” comments the duo. The label specialises in denim – which is a big part of the collection; ripped jeans, vests and frayed edge dresses will satisfy those customers in the market for Almeida’s signature design aesthetic.

In stores and online from today: topshop.com