Kate Moss for Topshop a bust |
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Tuesday, 17 April 2007 |
 The Kate Moss for Topshop collection is a bust, if we are to believe the negative press emanating from the US. New York Magazine dealt a crushing blow to Moss, describing the collection as "in a word: snore." The collection will be hitting stores on 1 May but a preview is available on
 Topshop's website. It is immediately obvious how much the line has been inspired by Moss's own wardrobe, with all too familiar pieces like daisy dukes, vests, minidresses and skinny jeans that are only suited to body types like that of the supermodel herself: rail thin, young and slightly common. New York Magazine writes: "Maybe (Topshop) was yearning for clothes that would only look good on people who are hungry and sullen. If so, Topshop hit the jackpot." Moss had already indicated that some pieces from her own wardrobe would be duplicated in the collection, so it is difficult to see what the US publications are getting so upset about. The New York Post was also negative about the line, referring to 'Duplikate', because of its lack of originality. Richard Hyman, managing director of research consultancy Verdict, believes the reactions are somewhat over the top. " The fashion journalist's grasp of what works in the mass market is not that great," he told The Independent. "You don't want leading-edge catwalk fashions in a high street store. You want something that's a little diluted or you're not going to generate the mass sales." Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys – the upmarket department store that will be carrying the line – jumped to her defence, albeit in a very dubious way. "Kate is playing to her strengths here," he told the New York Post. "Topshop in Britain cuts across all socio-economic lines. It has a democratic cool, which makes Kate the perfect person for them. She is not a highborn girl. She is a working-class slag from a crap town, like me."
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