Moss @ Topshop

Hundreds of eager shoppers lined up patiently for several hours to buy Kate Moss’s first collection for Topshop. The flagship store was surrounded by a huge crowd on all sides on the 1st of May. The hype was fuelled by previews of dresses, hot shorts, skinny jeans and waistcoats in magazines like Grazia and Vogue.
First in queue was Yasmin Kate, 16, from South London, who had been waiting for the doors to open since 12.30 that afternoon. Shivering, she said, “I love Kate Moss; I’m going to grab whatever I can.” Moss’s younger pre teen fans, (Amy, Molly and Lalage), specially missed school for K-day and had foreheads painted neon declaring their adoration for the model.
Chaotic as it seemed, the queue was well organised with everyone getting a coloured band stating what time they could get in. The crowd was allowed 20 minutes browsing time and could only buy eight items to avoid e-bay sales at inflated prices. Topshop staff distributed sweets, water and popcorn, all in special Kate Moss packaging.
The real excitement was bang outside the store windows on the pavement. Photographers and fans elbowed each other trying to get a glimpse of what lay behind the velvet curtain. Moss was scheduled to appear at 8 pm; however, every time the curtain moved even a little, a roar of anticipation went around.
Moss posed like a mannequin for exactly 10 seconds in a red maxi looking oblivious to the mayhem outside. Waiting paparazzi and media made snide comments about this brief appearance, angering teenage fans. One of the girls passionately yelled, “I don’t care if she came for a few seconds. This has been the best day of my life. I go to the same school she went to, I take the same bus home everyday. You people waiting to photograph her love her too.”
Inside the store, it was back to an organised shopping experience in a specially allocated section. There were several pieces available in many sizes ranging from 6-16. The floral pixie dress was a favourite, with many girls vying for it.
The fact that, these styles would suit someone with the same body shape as Kate Moss was oblivious to the crowd. It was ‘grab what you can while you can.’ 50-something, Ann, who claimed to be 29 years old was delighted with her shopping. “I love the buzz here. I bought the metallic vest because it was the same one that Moss wore on her 30th birthday.”
A few days later, while the crowds had died out, the rails in the store were still full. One could even buy online on Topshop.com. Limited edition pieces were completely sold out and can be found on E-bay if one wishes to pay the price for something that looks just like anything the high street retailer may have sold for spring.
Kate Moss can be assured that her fans still worship her. She is set to design three more collections for the brand, and is reportedly being paid 3 million pounds for each one. Will the public line-up again for Sir Philip Green’s experiment? We have to wait and watch. With the number of celebrity high street links ups launching everyday, it may be just another boring afternoon at the stores.