Editors' Top Reads: News from Giorgio Armani, Topshop and more...
Giorgio Armani: How the Italian designer became a global icon
At the start of what has been dubbed a "September to Remember" for fashion, we have lost one of our all-time greats. Giorgio Armani was up there with Yves Saint Laurent, Crisótbal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel in my personal list of the greatest fashion designers of all time.
It may be a cliché to wonder if we will ever see his like again, but I'm seriously unsure that we will.
Just last week I was looking at (the mostly dire) fashion on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival and thinking to myself thinking that at 91, Mr Armani was still serving pristine, elegant, perfectly cut gowns that were both modern and timeless. He was still at the top of his game.
Some of the other designers we are supposed to be getting excited about delivered looks that were either dull or disturbing. And yes, the latter is a reference to that blue Dior Couture dress that was unflattering, ill fitting and, for crying out loud, creased! I don't care that it took 120 hours to make, why couldn't someone spend 120 seconds streaming it?
Mr Armani, on the other hand, dressed Cate Blanchett in a breathtaking, plunge neck black gown (with pockets!) that was the epitome of cool elegance. She looked radiant and relaxed and the dress was just perfection. The man who designed it was a maestro and now we have lost him.
I'm struggling to be excited about what the new wave of creative directors will deliver this fashion month because it won't be anywhere near as good as anything Mr Armani gave us. May he rest in peace and continue to inspire.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
Is John Lewis the right fit for Topshop’s UK roll-out?
Much has been written this week across all mainstream press and specialist fashion and retail press about Topshop’s major return to the UK high street from February 2026, when it will be sold in 32 John Lewis stores nationwide, with Topman also carried in six.
The move certainly surprised me, as it’s fair to say that in its heyday a Topshop shopper would not normally be one to walk through the doors of their local John Lewis store in search of their latest fashion fix.
However, as Peter Ruis, Managing Director of John Lewis, said on an Instagram post: “This one is very personal, and probably for anyone here who grew up in UK fashion. So delighted to be part of the Topshop and Topman return to physical retail. For John Lewis it is a statement of intent and ambition.”
One can only assume then that that ambition is to target not only millennials, who will no doubt remember the flagship Topshop store at London’s Oxford Circus through rose-tinted spectacles, but also Gen Z – and presumably their mothers too.
Driving younger shoppers into John Lewis stores is clearly the aim, and it was interesting to hear the thoughts of two respected retail analysts in Richard Hyman and Tom Ljubojevic, Apparel Analyst at GlobalData, this week.
As Hyman said: “Topshop’s collaboration with John Lewis is a surprise and, at first glance, they are not an obvious fit. But John Lewis wants to be much more fashionable and contemporary. This is an ambitious partnership that could deliver new customer cohorts to both brands.”
We’ve had a taste of what Topshop 2025 looks like through its retail partnership with Liberty in London – now in-store – but it will be very interesting indeed to see how it’s presented in John Lewis stores come early February 2026.
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
The White Company relaunches womenswear for AW25 under former Oscar de la Renta designer
The White Company has entered a new chapter with the relaunch of its womenswear line for AW25, unveiling a refined vision under the creative direction of designer Sheila McKain.
McKain, a trained sculptor and former designer at Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta, draws inspiration from the British brand's archives to develop a contemporary womenswear collection "that brings a sense of luxury, ease and confidence to the everyday".
For the autumn/winter season, she finds inspiration in the old English word apricity - the warmth of the winter sun - to shape a refined palette of whites and ecrus, balanced with rich earth tones. This vision is also brought to life by a curated edit of tactile fabrics and cocooning silhouettes, marrying "comfort with elegance" to meet the evolving needs of discerning customers.
Having previewed the new collection, I'm impressed by the quality and design. I haven't shopped at The White Company before, but this certainly makes it much more compelling.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
