Topshop is set to stage its first catwalk show in seven years next weekend, ahead of London Fashion Week, marking a significant step in the brand's high street revival. The event, open to the public and likely to feature model Cara Delevingne, comes after the Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen acquired a 75% stake in the company last year.
The brand, once a staple for young women, was bought by Asos in 2021 after its parent company Arcadia went into administration. Its flagship Oxford Circus store closed later that year, diminishing its relevance. However, Asos managing director Michelle Wilson has confirmed that standalone stores are in the works, telling Drapers in June: 'That’s something that we are working on all the time.'
Nostalgia for Topshop's golden era in the 1990s and 2000s is strong among millennials and older Gen Z shoppers. Vogue fashion writer Olivia Allen described the Oxford Circus store as 'an immersive amusement park for the teenage girl,' while Elle contributing editor Laura Antonia Jordan highlighted the emotional pull of 'going down the escalators and potentially losing hours in there.'
Topshop was founded in Sheffield in 1964 and opened its iconic Oxford Circus store in 1994. It achieved success through collaborations with designers like JW Anderson, Christopher Kane, and Kate Moss. At its peak, it had 300 UK stores and 11 in the US. Former brand director Jane Shepherdson attributed this to a 'shared vision' of exceeding customer expectations.
The new Topshop is distancing itself from fast fashion, with Wilson telling the Sunday Times that jeans would cost around £50 and dresses £100. This aligns with Asos's 'fashion with integrity' strategy, which monitors supply chains. Retail consultant Catherine Shuttleworth noted that younger customers are seeking brands that reflect their values, offering 'more exclusivity' than ultra-fast fashion rivals like Shein.
However, questions remain about whether nostalgia alone can sustain the brand. Jordan pondered: 'Are you appealing to the millennial demographic for whom it was a real rite of passage or are you going after the version of us now? I don’t know if it can charm them in the same way because they are spoiled for choice.'
