PrintAlthough it’s been almost 300 years since the United States booted out Great Britain, the English still maintain some sort of magical sway over us. After all, who doesn’t love The Beatles, pub crawls, and Cadbury chocolate? Today, April 2nd, yet another export from across the pond will reach our shores: Topshop.
High Street fashion megahouse Topshop will finally open on Broome and Broadway after several delays and much anticipation—it was originally set to debut in November 2008. Sir Philip Green, owner of Arcadia Group—Topshop’s parent company—and the seventh-richest man in Britain, explains to the press that drastic reconstruction and remodeling pushed back the store’s inauguration. Luckily, the store’s postponed opening has not put off fans of the British chain. Blogs like nitro:licious have been saturated with fashionistas’ declarations of love for Topshop. Many bloggers are promising to be more than ready to tackle tweens in order to snag the elusive giveaways—including free T-shirts, beauty treatments, and candy—set to be distributed on opening day. In the past few weeks, Topshop has handed out free bags in Washington Square Park, and rumors abound that that celebrities like model and guest designer Kate Moss will be present for the store’s debut party. That’s a lot of hoopla for the opening of a chain store—what, exactly, is all the commotion about?
Some background information, for the less fashion-minded: Topshop prides itself on delivering the latest dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes, jewelry, bags, and so on, at accessible prices. Okay, maybe H&M, Forever 21, Zara, and UNIQLO all offer similar deals, but somehow Topshop has managed to outdo its competition back home and hopes for similar success here.
True to its roots, Topshop offers styles with a British edge, some of which seem made only for runway models. It’s no coincidence that Kate Moss designs for the store each season—her ninth collection debuts the very same day the New York store opens. Even Topshop’s “Miami” and “Memphis” collections for Spring 2009 are imbued with a sophistication and gusto that practically yell “London.” Take it from me, a Miami resident: no one there walks around in mint green trilby hats. Since the launch of the U.S. Web site, thousands of purchases have been made online and delivered to customers on this side of the Atlantic. Fashion bloggers cannot wait to shop in person at the SoHo locale.
Not all the hype surrounding Topshop’s opening is positive. Shoppers familiar with the chain are quick to point out that the quality of the merchandise is less than superb. Then again, is quality really what matters for seasonal clothes? As the name implies, aren’t they meant to last exactly that—one season? It must also be said that Topshop’s prices aren’t as low as those of other trendy stores, although they will offer a 10 percent discount to students. Moreover, some New Yorkers begrudge yet another large chain setting up shop on SoHo’s streets. In this tight economy, many people are worried about the survival of the small, stand-alone boutiques scattered throughout that neighborhood.
Despite these complaints, Topshop is still garnering a lot of positive press and guarantees to be quite a sight. The New York store will offer services similar to those at its massive London flagship: shoppers will be able to consult style advisors and take advantage of an in-store salon. Many west-coast bloggers are already demanding that a branch be opened in San Francisco or Los Angeles so that they, too, can take advantage of all this British import has to offer. As lucky New Yorkers, we should take the Beatles’ song to heart and not let the chance to shop at Topshop pass us by.