It's a short way to the Topshop
NATASHA SILVA-JELLYOctober 1, 2009
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/its-a-short-way-to-the-topshop-20090930-gcn3.htmlMulti-talented ... Kate Moss not only models for Top Shop but she designs a range for them too.
The giant British chain store is coming to Sydney, writes Natasha Silva-Jelly.
In just 28 days (and counting), the giant fast-fashion empire that is Topshop will open its doors in Sydney for the first time. In an exclusive retail partnership, hip local fashion boutique Incu has secured a deal that will have the Topshop brand move into the flagship store in Paddington's Oxford Street shopping precinct.
The range, which is available in 340 stores across Britain and popular with early teens right through to women in their 50s, will include the highly lusted-after Kate Moss line, Topman and the catwalk collection "Unique", which showed its spring-summer 2010 range on the London runway last week.
For Incu's founders, Vincent Wu and brother Brian, securing the coup when others have tried and failed is a seriously big deal. For those not familiar with Incu boutiques, there are two in Sydney and one in Melbourne and they are home to a mix of cutting-edge labels such as Bassike, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang and Alexander Wang.
Now they will preside over "Incu Presents Topshop", which will be set up on the second floor of the Paddington store at 256 Oxford Street. The four-level Topshop flagship store in London's Oxford Circus receives new shipments of clothes every day – at Incu we'll get new stock every month.
Topshop, which is owned by Arcadia Group and billionaire Sir Philip Green, has similar partnerships with a handful of global fashion retail destinations, including Colette in Paris, Opening Ceremony in New York and Hong Kong's Lane Crawford. But why Sydney and why Incu?
In London for Fashion Week, essentialStyle spoke with Topshop senior buyer Rachel Proud about the deal.
"From my understanding of Australian retail, the designer end has become very directional and progressive and there is a lot more interest internationally," Proud said.
"Incu approached us and if someone does that and the profile fits, then we look into it. Our senior buyers are constantly looking at new innovative shops around the world and Incu was on the radar. I think it will be fantastic. We deliver online to Australia and they are our strongest market after [Britain] and the US. Last week after some press appeared about Incu and Topshop in Australia, we saw sales go up 100 per cent in Australia online."
It's not clear whether the mega fashion chain will eventually open a stand-alone shop front here. Presumably that will depend on how we spend up in Paddington.
As for whether Topshop's arrival Down Under will spark the same reaction witnessed when the company opened the first store in New York – lines of waiting customers circled the block – Vincent Wu says he's not entirely sure what to expect.
"It's a new market for us so it will be interesting," he says.
"You don't usually get Aussies lining up though, it's not our mentality."
Don't bet on it. Credit cards ready, people.
FAST FASHION FIX
Mini trends we'll see before Christmas at Incu: bold stripes and horror-movie-style motifs, rock-chic pieces, skinny jeans, checks and vintage florals.
(Lisa Ho Oversized Cardi, French Connection Dress, Rubi Shoes, Diva Ring)
