'This is not re-launch, this is just the start': Topshop frenzies fans
Topshop is ramping up the anticipation for its return to the high street. Before revealing its spring/summer 2025 collection to the press last night, the beloved retailer took to Instagram, writing: "Public Service Announcement: This is not a re-launch, this is just the start."
Do you remember the days when Topshop reigned supreme on the high street and clusters of teens and twenty-somethings clamoured to get their hands on John Lennon emblazoned T-shirts or a new pair of figure-hugging Joni jeans? Well, the glory days may be returning sooner than you think.
Millennials are anxiously waiting for the return of the brand. But, should we be getting our hopes up? According to Topshop's Instagram, most definitely.
Topshop is clearly looking to connect with its OG customers, using Instagram (Millennials' pick of poison) as a tool for announcement-making.
Last month, the fashion brand took to the social media platform with a series of three posts that spelled out "We've missed you too". This was the confirmation that fans of Topshop had all been waiting for: it's back. The first phase of its return saw the brand partner with London-based artist Russ Jones to create "We Missed You Too", a fan-fuelled art installation and treasure hunt across London’s Soho for Topshop lovers old and new.
Its latest post has left consumers flocking to the comments to reminisce about the good old Topshop days. One Instagram user commented: "Please tell me this is going to be just like the original Topshop? I want Joni jeans, blazers, Kate Moss and Alexa Chung! I want those comfy ballet shoes that I had in every colour, I want the boot collection, I miss Topshop boots. I miss your iconic tea dresses with tights and boots. I even want that cheesy Twilight collab you did and the sleeveless high neck t-shirts - I had the John Lennon one!"
Another said: "Imagine if they slowly took back all the old stores…"
Last night at a preview of Topshop's Spring Summer collection titled 'Ranch Water', the recently appointed Managing Director, Michelle Wilson, divulged: "This is just the start. We’re making a small step into offline with our Ranch Water showcase. We’ll be scaling things up over the summer, with some really exciting plans as we build towards our AW25 relaunch – we’ll be sure to invite you along."
Inspired by design trips to Los Angeles and Austin, the Ranch Water collection blends Western elements with Topshop's classic edge. Silhouettes contrast fitted tops with relaxed, voluminous bottoms. Meanwhile, accessories take the shape of raffia and suede bags, clunky clogs and stacked to the max bangles. Let's see if the collection will make it offline.
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After the collapse of the brand's owner, Arcadia Group, ASOS purchased Topshop and Topman, the former jewels in the crown of the conglomerate's empire, for £265 million in March 2021.
The deal involved the purchase of the brand and online business only, resulting in the closure of all of Topshop and Topman's physical retail stores. ASOS rolled the e-commerce sites into its own online platform. Although this kept the brand from fading into the abyss, it has arguably not been the same since.
In October 2024, ASOS sold Topshop and Topman to a joint venture led by Heartland, which represents ASOS shareholder Anders Holch Povlsen and his fashion business Bestseller. As soon as the news broke, speculation stirred that the brand was headed back to the high street.
