I will still never forgive Samantha Cameron’s husband for calling that referendum, but I would definitely wear some of these clothes. The Zip Funnel Neck Midi Dress in Khaki (£290) is a good shape and length, has elbow-length sleeves that work well for daytime, and a pleasingly JW Anderson-ish zip from collarbone to hip. I am also quite keen on the Long Sleeve Peplum Top (£190), shown with jeans on the website. The Tailored Stretch Wool Blend Maxi Culottes (£210) look elegant and wearable.
There will be no scrum for these clothes. They do not scream fashion. They are clothes to quietly make the point that the wearer is up-to-date on modern life, generally speaking. They are mostly navy, black and khaki, accented with poppy red. (Oddly, there is one print, a window-pane check. This perhaps should have been edited out.) They are aspirational in a grown-up, lifestyle-orientated way. Like the right marble kitchen surface, or a Stiffkey Blue front door.
These are not boardroom clothes, but nor are they a wardrobe for ladies of leisure. The Cefinn woman wants to look interesting, but she also wants to look professional.
There are, in fact, no shortage of lovely clothes at this price point – see The Fold, Libby London, LK Bennett, Me&Em – but these labels often struggle to get much purchase on publicity, squeezed out of the fashion bandwidth by high-street clamour at one end and catwalk glamour at the other. With the advantageous newsworthiness of the Cameron name, Cefinn could do well in this market.
There is a strong sense of Samantha Cameron’s own style in the long, lean skirt shapes and the modern high-necked silk blouses. This gives personality to the collection, and the shape channels the aura of grace-under-pressure that women admire in Cameron. But it also tilts the collection toward shapes that suit Cameron’s tall, slender physique. These are not necessarily figure-flattering pieces.
The name Cefinn is a semi-amalgam of her children’s names, but it sounds like it could be a type of Cornish pottery. Or perhaps an old English quilting technique. Something British, slightly arty, and unshowy. Which is exactly what these clothes are.
What the shoppers thought
Cefinn is expected to sell predominantly online, but Samantha Cameron was in store this morning to launch a concession at Selfridges. We asked shoppers what they thought of the collection.
Eli Martin, 25, Student
Did you know Samantha Cameron was launching a clothing line?
No.
How do you feel about the collection?
There are a lot of zips going on and I can’t stand zips on show. I feel like they always need to be concealed. Having said that, there are quite a few pieces I am pleasantly surprised by: the checked two-pieces are quite nice, and the black funnel neck midi dress – though I wouldn’t call it a midi dress as it sits at the ankles. It’s all very conservative.
Would you buy anything from the collection?
No I wouldn’t. Though I was pleasantly surprised by the funnel neck dress, I wouldn’t pay £270 for it.
A woman in her fifties, who works in banking, who asked not to be named:
Did you know Samantha Cameron was launching a clothing line?
I had seen something a while back about it.
How do you feel about the collection?
It’s nice, simple and easy. I could see myself wearing the black zip funnel dress.
Would you buy anything from the collection?
Not today. But, I wouldn’t rule out a purchase in the future.
Bemi Shaw
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