They might be known for their stiff upper lip, but in uncertain political times, the Brits are more inclined to let their hair down than anything else. “Keep calm and party on” was the message at Topshop, where Lily Donaldson opened the show with a slogan sweatshirt that read like a ’90s rave flyer. The words “HAPPY WKNDR FOREVER” were spelled out across her chest in fuzzy, yellow terrycloth letters. Though most of the millennial shoppers who flock to the brand’s flagship store in central London would be too young to remember the hedonistic club scene of that era, many of the references in the collection will be familiar, including the slip dress. Supermodel and former Topshop collaborator Kate Moss is arguably the poster child for the look, and throwback party images of her in bias-cut satin are still circulating on social media to this day. Her sister, Lottie, walked the runway show today dressed in an outfit that put a modern club-kid spin on the aesthetic—a slinky vintage-inspired floral slip skirt and off-the-shoulder top splashed with techno-style graphics. Those streetwise-yet-feminine charms appeared elsewhere in the collection, and slouchy cargo pants, the linchpin of a late ’90s wardrobe, were paired with pretty sequin tops decorated with colorful flowers. It was a cool and compelling idea for a Saturday night out on the town.
That said, the collection wasn’t all about living for the weekend. The shrunken ribbed knits and sporty retro zip-up tops were nice off-duty alternatives to the athleisure trend dominating the runway of late—indeed, there were no sloppy hoodies to be found here. There’s been a sexy, glamorous mood in the air on the runways in London overall, and that vibe was alive and kicking at Topshop. The brand always attracts a front row of style-conscious celebrities and social media-savvy It girls, and this time around, Sofia Richie, the gorgeous daughter of Lionel and one-time girlfriend of Justin Bieber, was in the audience. Perhaps the most captivating woman in the room, though, was model and activist Adwoa Aboah, who made the notion of dressing up on a dreary winter’s night look totally hot, closing the show in a pale pink diaphanous dress sprinkled with sparkling embellishments and slashed to the thigh. Topshop has ramped up the see-now-buy-now quotient of its collection to 50 percent, which means the rest of us should be able to channel Adwoa come next Friday night.
