Youthful look for M&S

Heavy kohl-rimmed eyes, punky cropped hair, a defiant curl of the lip and a tough "have-a-go" stance - can this really be Marks & Spencer's new look?

Yes, the high street giant - usually more at home with middle-aged Middle England - has set its sights on the all-important, and incredibly lucrative, youth market.

Following the phenomenal success of George Davies's Per Una range, launched in September 2001, Marks & Spencer today announced it was adding a " harder-edged" fashion line, entitled Per Una Dué, to its ranges. Scheduled to be in stores on 6 May, it is revealed in these exclusive images.

Aimed at women in their late teens to early thirties, Dué is intended to take on the likes of Topshop, Miss Selfridge and H&M and go some way to dispelling M&S's frumpy image.

The collection will have only an eight-week life span for each delivery, ensuring that the range can be constantly updated to keep up with ever-changing trends.

The first wave will include streetwise items such as drainpipe jeans, pleated miniskirts and slash detail T-shirts. A retro sports look featuring brightly coloured bomber jackets, print vests and cute hotpants will follow later in the season.

"We are delighted that we can extend the appeal of Per Una to reach a younger audience," said M&S chief executive Roger Holmes. "Per Una Dué ensures that we will always have something fresh and creative to offer."

The key to making the younger, cooler fashion brand work for Marks & Spencer could be in the plans for the chain's first stand-alone 4,000 square foot Per Una store, which is due to open in the King's Road in June.

The new range will be launched in 65 stores across the UK in May, but with the chain's dull, uninspiring interiors often cited as one of its major problems, a funky new environment for its funky new line could prove to be just the thing.