Millennials rejoice! Topshop is back… but you’re delusional if you think it will be the same
AS I was aimlessly scrolling through Instagram on Tuesday night, my full attention was suddenly grabbed as the instantly recognisable Topshop motif popped up on my feed.
A video, accompanied by dramatic music, showed a man and woman standing on the roof of a building, followed by flashings of the iconic sans serif ‘Topshop’ and ‘Topman’ logos.
Three of the same videos were shared by the fashion retailer, accompanied by the simple, yet intriguing caption: “We’ve missed you too.”
My attention hastily moved to the comment section and it was flooded with posts like “MOTHER OF GOD!!! Actually going to make my year” and “Please open stores again”.
My immediate reaction was excitement — and other Topshop fans also seem to believe that the teaser could be a hint at a possible return of physical stores, too.
Scrolling down a little further to investigate, I saw the face of London Major, Sadiq Khan.
He had posted in partnership with Topshop, sharing memories of the famous store that stood on the corner of Oxford Circus.
“Wouldn’t it be great to get Topshop back on Oxford Street?” he said.
The plot thickens…
Fashion frenzy
Topshop officially has its own website again, after years of just being on ASOS, under the domain topshop.com.
All it says on the website is “Coming soon”.
In November, ASOS — the parent company of Topshop — did acknowledge that topshop.com would be relaunched.
And Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte, head of ASOS, hinted that he would not ignore any option to grow Topshop — including a physical store.
So this could actually happen, and like any millennial, my appetite for a nostalgic return of one of Britain’s most famous high street stores is present and correct.
But after my initial excitement, I then thought – would it really be great to get Topshop back?
Like many other women in their thirties and beyond, I have nothing but fond memories of the brand — and, in particular, London’s flagship Oxford Street store.
It’s a bit like how you felt when you had your first crush — the butterflies in your stomach, the excitement to see them — but would you feel the same anticipation if you saw them now?
At one point, for me, that giant, three-floored 8,000-square-foot shop was more of a landmark than Big Ben or Buckingham Palace.
When I moved to London at 18, I would meet my friends there and we would spend our Saturdays hunting for an outfit to wear that night.
This was an emporium of clothes, shoes, jewellery, bags and fashion-minded folk who all appeared to have great style.
There would be pop-ups, DJs, beauty bars and even smaller brands in the basement, full of hidden treasurers.
It was an experience more than a shop.
I remember when thousands of skinny jeans-clad Topshop fans waited for hours to get their hands on Kate Moss’s collection in 2007 — a fashion frenzy that has not been topped since.
The end of an era
But alas, amid competition from fast-fashion giants, in 2020 the party was over.
Topshop fell into administration as part of the collapse of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire.
The fashion industry was in mourning, but by 2021, ASOS had revived the brand online.
Personally, though, I have not bought a single Topshop item since the doors closed. Why? Well, I’m not in my twenties any more.
It’s a bit like remembering how you felt when you had your first crush — the butterflies in your stomach, the excitement to see them — but would you feel the same anticipation if you saw them now?
Not likely, they’ve probably lost their sheen a bit — wearing dad trainers and carrying around a pot belly.
This is how I feel about Topshop. What we liked in our 20s isn’t our taste now in our 30s and 40s. We’ve moved on.
At one point, for me, that giant, three-floored 8,000-square-feet shop was more of a landmark than Big Ben or Buckingham Palace.
Sure, we’re excited to see if they do set up a new shop, but it won’t be a time machine.
It won’t transform you back to your former self, or your former body.
Nor will it return you to a time when bib necklaces, platform heels and bodycon dresses were at their peak.
And if you believe that it will be the Topshop that you remember, you’re delusional.
6 WAYS TO PUT FASHION FAVE BACK ON TOP
REWIND 15 years and Topshop was the number one shopping destination for fashion savvy young women.
But it dropped off the radar following the success of Zara, H&M, Primark and online fast fashion retailers such as Shein and Pretty Little Thing.
Could a new bricks-and-mortar store turn its fate around?
Fashion editor Clemmie Fieldsend says it needs to do a lot more to compete with today’s biggest brands.
Here is her six-point plan:
SOCIAL MEDIA: There has been a real buzz around the potential return of a Topshop store. The brand commissioned artist Russ Jones to create a “We Missed You Too” installation and a treasure hunt across London’s Soho, where shoppers can find £1k to spend at Topshop.
However, on the whole the brand’s social media strategy will need fine tuning to compete with savvy brands.
CHECK THE ARCHIVES: M&S has made great use of its classic older pieces. In 2016, following a 2.7 per cent fall in clothing sales, it released Alexa Chung’s archive collection – 20,000 pieces sold on the first day.
Topshop should do the same – people love it for the nostalgia so bringing back old denim favourites, coats and shoe styles would pique interest among old and new customers.
ROLL OUT THE CELEBS: Topshop did it first with Kate Moss collaborations but countless brands have replicated this winning formula. In 2018, M&S paired up with Holly Willoughby. More recently, Victoria Beckham worked with Mango and Kate Moss with Zara.
Could Topshop entice Kate back? Alternatively, Maya Jama or Dua Lipa would be great ambassadors for the brand.
CATWALK COPIES: H&M, New Look, M&S and Mango all shift stock by creating designer dupes.
Topshop used to be the go-to for ‘catwalk copies’ – so they could bring back that magic by keeping an eye on the must-have catwalk pieces that us mere mortals can only dream of owning.
DREAM TEAM: The woman who has led M&S to be the huge success that it is today is Maddy Evans and she was once the head of womenswear buying at Topshop.
Maddy has brought all her experience and talent to M&S, but it would be a perfect full circle moment to see her at Topshop again.
MAKE CONCESSIONS: The most successful high street brands today have a host of concession brands. Next sells Gap, Lipsy and Reiss, while M&S flogs brands like Jaeger, Ghost and Nobody’s Child.
Topshop actually did this first – with sections of its stores dedicated to boutique fashion brands and jewellery lines.
Broadening the brand offering also expands the customer base and spend.
A new generation
When I asked colleagues what they would want most from its return, they said the ‘Jamie’ jeans.
Topshop still sells them online, I told them.
But I was shot down with “Oh but they’re not the same”. Maybe they’re not, or maybe we’re not the same.
In fact, Topshop does have some brilliant statement pieces online at Asos, like the viral sell-out yellow trench coat.
But if you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about then sadly, you’re no longer Topshop’s target customer.
For us fashion geriatrics, Topshop now has a new following of younger, digitally minded women who are checking what’s dropping online every day.
Whether these Gen-Z shoppers will bother schlepping into a real-life store remains to be seen.
But for us millennials, it might just be better to cling onto the memories rather than rekindle our first shopping love – only to be left bitterly disappointed.