Britain’s Fast Fashion Powerhouse Latest Pop-Up Shop In Shanghai
Topshop's new pop-up on Changle Lu (Image: Time Out Shanghai)
After sharing space at the Fumin Lu mainstay Madame Mao’s Dowry, British fast-fashion powerhouse Topshop moved into its very own digs this week in Shanghai. The city’s first dedicated Topshop pop-up, the new store on Changle Lu is running in partnership with the Beijing creative concept store 798 Fei Space, which wields exclusive rights to the Topshop and Topman brands in China.
While Topshop has staked an attractively chic reputation in China’s fast-fashion market, beginning with the brand’s first appearance at Fei Space in July 2011 and at Beijing Fashion Week two months later, followed by a Shenzhen pop-up shop at the King Glory Plaza this past May, the Shanghai pop-up may mark the first major steps toward an independent presence in China. Expected to remain open for at least 12 months, possibly longer, the permanence of Topshop will depend on its success at its new location. The opening of the new store only adds to a slew of major retailers that have more recently entered China, among them Forever 21 and J. Crew (via its partnership with Lane Crawford), as well as independent retailers that have launched their own in-store pop-ups, such as Front Row (Jing Daily interview), THE VILLA, Le Lutin (interview), Trés Mimieux, Project Aegis, and The Olive Shoppe (interview).
Topshop pop-up, in partnership with Fei Space
Larger than the average pop-up, the new two-story space — which sports price tags roughly 30 percent higher than in Topshop’s native UK — is also hipper than what we’ve typically seen in Shanghai, with quirky lighting and industrial décor, and offers a much wider range of stock and bolder statement designs, including all-over sequin dresses and fashion-week-worthy attire. Highlights include a monochrome lace peplum dress (599 yuan (US$95.78)), geometric print parachute silk shirt (799 yuan ($127.77)) and a studded leather biker jacket. The store will also house Topshop’s most recent design collaboration with preppy young Brit designer JW Anderson, one of the stars at this September’s London Fashion Week, with quilted print tees, monogrammed school boy jumpers and crisp white shirts.
Topman will debut in Shanghai equipped with a decent amount of shop space given over to rails full of more laid-back items, including relaxed plaid shirts (from 299 yuan ($47.81)), Aztec print jumpers (449 yuan ($71.80)) and rolled-up jeans (from 499 yuan ($79.79)). On the ground level, designer capsule collections from big London names like Victoria Beckham, Turkish-Cypriot designer Hussein Chalayan and House of Holland will flaunt accoutrements such as an eye-watering 9,360 yuan ($1,496.79) hairy-sleeved trench coat.
Topshop and Topman
139-3 Changle Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu
Shanghai
Topshop recently joined the Chinese social media platform WeChat (Weixin)