Sarah Nicole Prickett, Kate Phelan, Gordon Richardson (Photo: David Pike)This week, to much exclamatory tweeting from teens of all ages, Topshop and Topman opened respective, connecting flagship shops at Yorkdale Mall. The British fast-fashion phenomenon is part of the Hudson's Bay Co. here, but also separate, with a two-storey retail space that feels heady and rushy and nothing like the Bay. Men shop on the bottom; women on top. Just the way I like it.
Luckily for Topman's design director Gordon Richardson and brand-new Topshop creative director Kate Phelan (hired away from Brit Vogue, no less), I kept my stupid innuendos to myself on opening day. Instead, the visiting dignitaries of style and I talked about how to dress and shop and Topshop, and did so more/less seriously. Richardson is completely rad, like if Keith Richards were your uncle, and Phelan is an English version of every girl's crush Jenna Lyons, so yeah. Listen to them.
What are you wearing right now?
GORDON: Jacket from b Store, trousers from b Store, a Comme Des Garons pocket square, vest by Topman, shoes from somewhere else. I should be wearing Topman. I'm very bad. But I never wear all one thing.
KATE: All Topshop. This is the “Baxter” jean. Everybody loves it. I think we'll always have skinny jeans.
Do you think the rise of street style blogs and the accessibility of fast fashion, the fact you can buy Topshop all over, has resulted in a global homogenization of style?
GORDON: Ooh. That's tricky.
KATE: I think it has created a greater need for individuality. Now, more than ever, that's what style is about. People aren't wearing head-to-toe designer anymore, are they? It's the mix, the high and low, bits and pieces. I think people now, looking at all these amazing blogs for inspiration, looking at fashion and shopping online, are far more aware of what they need to do to be different.
Is the heritage trend here to stay a while?
GORDON: Yes, definitely. Guys want that worked-in feeling, and we're doing it again for Spring 2012.
How do you feel about women shopping in the mens section?
GORDON: Great. They're always coming in and wanting these oversized sort of washed-cotton jumpers and things.
KATE: I'm actually a bit envious of the mens sweaters. I want to go down there!
What about men shopping in the womens section?
GORDON: Well, that's another thing. It's a bit more difficult the other way around, isn't it?
How does the look, feel, and mix of Topshop and Topman in Toronto differ from same in London or New York?
KATE: It's not really different at all... I mean, it's smaller than Topshop on Oxford Street, of course, so you've really got the essentials here. But you've got the main collection, and the Unique, and the shoes, and soon we'll bring in the collaborations: Mary Katrantzou, Simone Rocha, Michael van der Ham. You should really check out Michael van der Ham.
What should we buy right now?
GORDON: A basic jumper that isn't really basic, like this one with patches on it. We're doing a lot of those contrasting, smart details.
KATE: Velvet! But my personal thing, which I always come back to, is a good sharp jacket like this.
(Photo: David Pike)__
Sarah Nicole Prickett is the Toronto Standard Style Critic.
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