As I circled around in line, I came across the Mercedes that was waiting to take Kate Moss away from all the chaos. Massive wardrobe trailers blocked in her car. WWD, NBC, Lucky Magazine and a vast amount of bloggers hovered around to see who and why we were all waiting in the crazy line. Five “Top Men” assembled on their candy colored Vespas and sped through NYC to distribute Topshop gift cards ranging in $5 to $500, to promote Topman, the men’s section of Topshop.
Once inside, I was bombarded with floral prints and flowers hanging from the ceiling. It is indeed spring in Topshop. I did not see Kate Moss but her collection was flying off the shelves! Signs politely reminded that only 5 articles of Kate Moss for Topshop were allowed per customer.
Style Advisors were on hand (and will be as one of the added Mega store amenities) to help one get their look together, a massive shoe lounge, a giant DJ booth with Mark Ronson spinning the fête, and complimentary hair and make up applications for the Grand Opening. The crowds loved it.
Topshop has partnered with multiple designers to create “capsule collections.” Jonathan Saunders is one of the designers who were showcasing their designs at a lower price point. This was my favorite section of the store because this is where the price and quality of the clothing was on par.
Surveying the clothing on each of the 3 levels, I could not escape the feeling that Topshop was a combination of American Apparel, Forever 21, Zara, H&M, with a spot on the “knock off” train. Though even partnering with designers in their “capsule collections”, Topshop is still a “knock off” offender.
The shoe lounge was the hub of the “knock offs.” It was as if the designers of Topshop went down a list to make sure they had “designed” a version of each shoe they saw on the runway. This greatly annoyed me. Can there not be an original, cool design at a lower price point? This must be possible.
Overall, the quality of the clothes in Topshop was not in sync with the high price tag. Topshop is taking more risks with colors and prints, yet at the end of the day it is on par with Zara and H&M. I was expecting so much more. I feel that us Americans have been given the Americanized version and that is not what we wanted. It is going to be interesting to see what happens to moving product once the novelty wears off.
Will the British invasion have staying power? Only time will tell.
Alas my favorite department of Topshop in London was missing in NYC. The vintage section where genuine vintage clothes are hand picked for Topshop is absolutely amazing. I tried to hide my sadness as the Topshop employee shared the unfortunate news.
Leaving Topshop and the chaos behind was the best I felt all day. I had survived and acquired a nice little reusable Topshop tote along with the most adorable hosiery. I will see you again Topshop, once your line dies down.
-Oriana DiNella
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