Ah, Sunday afternoon and arguably the hottest ticket of the week. The buzz surrounding the Topshop Unique show was unavoidable…as was the traffic surrounding the Tate Tanks location. Only 20 minutes behind schedule (that’s on time by London Fashion Week standards), Cara Delevingne was first to walk in an all-black look with a mash-up of textures.
“Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls…” sang from the sound system with lyrics that echoed the collection. Full skirts and sequined pinks were shown alongside floral knits and pussy-bow blouses. Silks and sequins gave way to girly looks, but this is the Topshop show we’re talking about, and their girl has an edge.
That edge came from ‘90s grunge, as patent overcoats and chunky boots offered the element of juxtaposition. Heavy boots toughened up flirty dresses, a slouchy coat covered a sequin skirt and a mannish boiler suit came in a dusty rose silk.
The colour palette played through dusky pastels, whilst patent pieces came in bold, block tones. Blood orange was the accent, with a block colour coat a confident girl will pull off in the Fall. Texture-wise, we saw a bit of everything. Sequins, silks, knits and fur… something for everyone, but that’s what Topshop does best?
A soundtrack full of ‘90s hits had showgoers singing along, including the fresh-faced row- some of whom are Nineties babies themselves. As seasoned Topshop FROW gals, Pixie Geldof, Daisy Lowe and Olivia Palermo were joined by a couple of new faces, including One Direction’s Louis, his girlfriend who’d scored a golden seat, and Topshop’s Christmas campaign girl, Kate Bosworth.
Partnering with Google+ for global interaction, Topshop proved themselves to be the most techno-savvy of the week. From Model Cam to Google+ hangouts, to their ‘Be The Buyer’ app, Topshop reigned in making the customer feel involved.
After all the anticipation, we sighed a breath of relief, as it was everything we hoped. The best bit of all is that these are pieces we can actually afford. Roll on Fall!
Words: Alice Tate