TO celebrate the relaunch of our awards, Fabulous Fashion Director Tracey Lea Sayer reveals why the high street has always held a special place in her heart…

I was ten when I first discovered the utter joy of high street shopping for clothes with my mum and nan.

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Kate Moss launched her first collection with Topshop in 2007Credit: Alamy

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River Island collaborated with global superstar RihannaCredit: PA:Press Association

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Rochelle Humes showcases her new swimwear for NextCredit: instagram
Going into town on Saturday became a family tradition — a girls’ day out we  looked forward to all week.

My mum’s favourite shop was M&S, where she would gaze at jackets with big shoulder pads and floral sundresses, while my nan would make a beeline for John Lewis and their classic coats and elegant court shoes.

I was all over Tammy Girl  and Chelsea Girl, which was later rebranded to high street fave River Island. I would spend hours in the changing rooms, watched   by my two cheerleaders, who gave the thumbs-up — or   down — on what I was trying on.

Seduced me

Frilly ra-ra skirts, duster coats, polka-dot leggings . . .  I tried them all, often making my nan howl with laughter.

Fashion wasn’t so fast back in the 1980s and every item was cherished and worn until it fell apart — literally.

At 18, I went to art college and my tastes became more refined.  Extra cash from a part-time job in a bar meant I could move on to slightly more expensive stores, such as Warehouse, Miss Selfridge and  Topshop. I knew at this point I wanted to work in fashion as the high street had totally seduced me.

Win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Maldives

VOTE  in our Fabulous High Street Fashion Awards – and you could scoop a luxury trip to the Maldives.

The lucky winner will get seven nights for two adults in a Sunset Sky Suite at the Ifuru Island resort  on an exclusive  premium all-inclusive package.

You could also win a £500 shopping spree at Next, and £500 vouchers to spend at New Look, River Island, John Lewis, Primark, F&F and Tu at Sainsbury’s.

To cast your vote in our awards and enter the competition, visit thesun.co.uk/fabulous-fashion-awards-2024 by July 28.

One day, I wrote an article for a competition in a glossy mag about my love of retail therapy and my favourite LBD — and I won!  That led  me to where I am today — Fashion Director of Fabulous.

But I’m still a high street queen at heart and that’s why I am so excited to relaunch  the Fabulous High Street Fashion Awards.

You can all vote for your favourite shops and online retailers.  You have until  July 28 at 12pm to vote and you will be entered into a prize draw to win an £8K holiday to the Maldives.
High street buys that look designer even fashion pro can’t tell the difference
It’s not just me that loves the high street — big-name designers are fans, too. When “Cool Britannia” hit  in the Nineties, the brands all turned up in one big store.

Designers at Debenhams  was a stroke of genius by the store’s CEO Belinda Earl, designer Ben de Lisi and fashion director Spencer Hawken, who introduced diffusion ranges from John Rocha, Matthew Williamson and Betty Jackson to name a few.

This meant we could all afford a bit of luxury. Years later, I hosted a night with Debenhams and Fabulous for 250 readers, who were in awe meeting all the designers. It was a real career highlight for me.

In 2004, H&M started rolling out their international designer collabs.

Karl Lagerfeld was first, followed by Roberto Cavalli, Marni, Stella McCartney and  many more.

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Victoria Beckham has joined forces with Spanish fashion giant MangoCredit: instagram

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Beyonce created Ivy Park with Topshop’s Philip GreenCredit: Handout

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Tracey Lea Sayer says the high street has always held a special place in her heartCredit: Fabulous Magazine News UK
Then in 2007, Kate Moss launched her first collection with Topshop, with thousands queuing along London’s Oxford Street.

At the time, the high street was on fire. Who needed designer buys when Mango stocked tin-foil trousers just like the Isabel Marant ones and you could buy a bit of Barbara Hulanicki’s legendary brand Biba from Topshop?

High street stores even started to storm London Fashion week.

Although Topshop Unique had shown collections since 2001, in 2013 River Island showed its first one in collaboration with global superstar Rihanna. KER-CHING!

A whole new generation of high-profile high street collabs followed.  Beyonce created Ivy Park with Topshop’s Philip Green and I even flew to LA for Fabulous to shoot the Kardashian sisters in their   “Kollection” for Dorothy Perkins.

Fast forward to 2024 and while the high street doesn’t look exactly like it did pre-Covid, it has made a gallant comeback. Stores like M&S, Reserved and Zara, and designer collabs Victoria Beckham X Mango and Rochelle Humes for Next are giving me all the feels.

The last 30 years of high street fashion have been one big adventure for me.

Bring on the next 30!