English eccentricity

English eccentricity
Topshop lands a visually driven, ambitious space in its first U.S. store in New York’s SoHo district

By Alison Embrey Medina, Executive Editor
July 01, 2009

Andrew Townsend, Dalziel & Pow Design Consultants Ltd., London

Since its launch in 1964, British apparel retailer Topshop has encapsulated the quintessential irreverent funkiness of U.K. fashion, now operating more than 300 stores in the United Kingdom and more than 100 international locations. But despite its international fervor, the iconic high street brand has never before set foot on U.S. soil. Until now.

In April, the London-based retailer made its U.S. debut with a four-level, 40,000-sq.-ft. flagship at 478 Broadway, in New York’s SoHo district. The store houses three upper floors of colorful, ’80s-inspired women’s apparel, accessories and footwear, in addition to a Topman men’s boutique on the lower level. In every nook and cranny, visual presentation and overall creative aesthetics treat the eye to an eclectic sense of style.

“This is genuinely the best store we have ever built,” said Sir Philip Green, owner of Arcadia Group, Topshop’s London-based parent company, in an interview published in WWD just before the store’s opening. “We see this as a launchpad for a business in America.” In June, Green later confirmed plans to open a second store in New York (date and location yet to be disclosed at time of print), and plans to open up to 15 Topshop stores across the United States.

For the SoHo store, Topshop commissioned London-based Dalziel & Pow Design Consultants Ltd., which set out to create a global model for Topshop that could define the brand in new markets. The SoHo store design is a one-off in the sense that it will influence the next steps within the evolving business—but it can never be repeated, says David Dalziel, creative director for Dalziel & Pow. “The New York consumer hasn’t really seen anything quite like Topshop—there are few brands that have that life and expression in the U.S.,” he adds. “It is fun, pacey, quirky and directional, but accessible. So it wasn’t designed to satisfy the American consumer, rather to create a differential, to stand out in an already crowded market.”

The concept for the design began first with the architectural shell of the building. “The architecture of the SoHo building is the driving force behind this concept—without the structure, it is just shopfitting lining a box,” Dalziel observes. The design team identified the spatial opportunities of the building, planned the circulation and located varied departments that would create the overall experience.

Ceiling heights were pushed between 14 ft. to 15 ft. to use the high perimeter for additional visual merchandising opportunities, Dalziel explains. Visual merchandising bars suspended between lights offer additional opportunity to hang seasonal props and décor items from white ceiling rafts, such as the bright and sunny flower display seen at the entrance of the store. “The high-contrast white rafts and charcoal structure make a very clear statement on each floor and give the shopper orientation in a potentially chaotic space,” Dalziel explains.

Ornate white columns contrast against the dark ceiling and add a regal touch to the fun-and-funky store vibe. This “English eccentricity,” as Dalziel calls it, works off a very strong fixture presentation for an eclectic mix of old and new, clean and decorative. In the shoe lounge, in particular, multicolored baroque chairs, gothic chandeliers and the Union Jack British flag imprinted on the glass exterior wall protrude English eccentricity to the max. “New York is used to this kind of expression with great visual merchandising from brands like Barneys and Anthropologie—we have simply given this a U.K. twist,” Dalziel says.

Bold, colorful graphics permeate throughout the four floors, and are used particularly effectively in the treatment adjacent to the escalator well on the right side of each floor. Here, a brightly lit, floor-to-ceiling mural combines random fashion, streetscape images and London icons (think street signs, British flags, butterflies, sundresses, pigeons and wayfinding) to inspire curiosity and direct shoppers to merchandise on additional levels.

Lighting in the SoHo space is intentionally darker than typical Topshop locations, driven by the desire to create a more intimate environment, as well as by local energy-use restrictions. Low-energy 20-watt spotlights were specified with an efficient reflector, resulting in the running costs coming out lower than in any previous Topshop store, Dalziel says. Highlights of neon and fluorescent are then interspersed throughout the space to pop in contrast to the standard spotlit environment.

For Dalziel, the design is a combination of seemingly disjointed elements that give the overall store experience a life and an energy, he says. “I think it defines Topshop in this location,” he adds. “It is a great introduction to the life and vibrance of the brand.”

And for the new stores to come in New York and elsewhere in the United States? We can’t wait to see what’s next.