Phoebe helpfully pointed out that this was a bit like Crystal Maze. Not in the sense that we had to do anything like… ugh, I don’t know I’m far too young – but more that, on climbing the stairs into Topman Design’s East London showspace, we entered a maze of large industrial rooms, each one holding varying Topman-based delights. Delights in the form of fashion films by a selection of talented young sorts, celebrating five whole years of Topman Design. Call it immersive. A full Topman Design immersion. We were dripping in it. And the climax? Not a giant glass room tank full of £5 pound notes and a leaf blower, but what might be the second best thing – Topman Design’s latest collection presented on a bevy of attractive males in a room with a champagne bar. Hoorah! The notes, mounted on the walls, told us that the collection was entitled Modern Romantics – “Topman likes to reference the past in order to influence the future and create clothes for boys with a don’t care attitude and fashion spirit,” apparently.
This meant, in real terms, a collection tinged with the 1980s – big-shouldered tailoring in corporate gray, roomy balloon-shaped trousers, pinstripes and sparkling helmet hair. Not pastiche as such – the cut was sleek, sporty and totally right for the Topman customer. Hence the modern bit. Phoebe was particularly enamoured with the silver leather jacket, as she likes anything with a “a bit of shiny”. I, having lost temporary brain function after eating and drinking a total of eight sour skittles and 2 glasses of champagne since 8am, was happy with pretty much anything.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
