This week's news that Australian-born, London based Richard Nicoll had been appointed as creative director of Jack Wills took many in the fashion industry by surprise. It perhaps seemed incongruous, the appointment: Nicoll, a London fashion designer with edge, joining Jack Wills, a brand beloved of of well-to-do teenagers. 

Jack Wills, which was founded in Devon in 1999 and now has more than 80 stores worldwide, is known for its almost anti-fashion aesthetic: it doesn’t follow trends but rather creates a uniform for the early 20-somethings. It is a brand aimed squarely at affluent university students, coming with the tagline ‘university outfitters’ and investing much of its marketing and advertising budget into upmarket event sponsorship like the Jack Wills Varsity Polo. Richard Nicoll, meanwhile, is at the very heart of the British fashion industry, having been showing at London Fashion Week since 2006.

​Today Nicoll told us that he does feel like his and the Jack Wills aesthetic are separate but said: ‘I understand the existing Jack Wills DNA and intend to nurture this while broadening the products appeal to a wider demographic. At its heart the Jack Wills brand has a young, playful but sophisticated spirit that I have an understanding of and it is one that can appeal to many more than it already does internationally.’

And when you think about it, the clothes dreamt up by Richard Nicoll for Jack Wills are exactly the sort of thing that could broaden the appeal significantly. Because, yes, while there are obvious differences in aesthetic, Nicoll and Jack Wills often share a colour palette and a silhouette: compare and contrast the pieces above, for example. On the left is a pretty floral dress from Richard Nicoll's autumn/winter 2014 collection; on the right, a current-season dress from Jack Wills. Suddenly Richard Nicoll and Jack Wills begin to look very compatible: indeed the designer's pieces for Jack Wills could just be what makes a new generation, an older generation, start shopping at the British store.  

The first Jack Wills pieces conceived with Richard Nicoll as creative director will land in shops next December but in the meantime, click the gallery to acquaint yourself with our favourite Jack Wills pieces to buy now.