Misstropolis

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Just Like Kate’s, Only Bigger & Cheaper

by Alisa Neely

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Kate Moss’s much heralded, eponymous collection for Topshop, the British H&M-like retailer about whose cheap, trendy clothes Moss has raved about for years, hits the U.S. at Barneys on May 9th.

The international press has been tripping and drooling over itself covering this most recent version of the “celebrity creates own fashion line” story, since Moss’ wildly anticipated appearance as a mannequin in the window of the Central London TopShop store on April 30. Despite tepid reviews from New York, Paris shoppers were just as crazy about the collection as those in London. Almost everything sold out.

But what creates the all this frenzy? Why are people lining up for hours and clawing each others’ eyes out for a pair of skinny jeans? Sir Philip Green, the billionaire marketing genius who owns Topshop know why, and is working the same aspirational voodoo on his customers as the folks behind the Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and (sort of but not really since it sucks so bad!) Madonna lines for H&M, and [place young European designers’ names here] collections for Target. ‘Bring a sense of attainability to the seductively unattainable style of celebrities and fashion goddesses,‘ I can hear Sir Philip telling his shareholders, ‘and we’ll have them breaking down our doors.‘

The fantasy of being like Kate intrigues everyone from mid-western teens to international socialites. Who wouldn’t want a bit of her notorious sexiness, her infinite youth, her bad-girl beauty? And Kate Moss was right to create a line knocking off her own style on the cheap rather than design a high-end collection and endure the industry scrutiny that Jennifer Lopez’s Sweetface or Qwen Stefani’s Lamb brands face.

The fact that Barneys is the store bringing it stateside gives the collection an interesting high/low vibe and elevates it way beyond anything from H&M or Target. It’s like another wink of collusion between Kate and the happy purchaser, who can’t help but feel very in the know – TopShop (cheap, British) meets Barneys (luxury, New York) – what could be groovier! I predict the Manhattan and Boston stores will have lines down the street and around the corner, and that most of the pieces will be snatched up in seconds.

The 90-piece TopShop collection reflects the model’s Chanel-inspired, vintage-heavy, club-kid, waif-y, signature style. Not much is currently available on the on the TopShop website, so Barneys had better get a good haul. I’ll be attempting to scoop up a blazer, the menswear vest and the thirties-style dress Kate modeled in the window at the Topshop launch. If I get the dress, I’ll look just like her when I wear it, right? I’ll leave the sequin Chanel knockoff for the 20-year-olds.

Check back with us next week to read about how the launch played out here in Boston.