The British fashion industry is invading Las Vegas in March.
Fashion Show Mall has landed British clothes retailers Topshop and Topman. Both were heavily recruited by shopping centers along the Strip, but the retailer opted to sign a 10-year lease with the mall. More than 170 people will be hired.
Topshop focuses on women’s clothing and fashion accessories as part of a chain founded in England in 1964. It is in more than 20 countries and has a flagship store on Broadway in New York City and is opening one in Chicago. This will be its third store in the United States.
Topman is a spinoff of Topshop that serves men.
“This is great for Vegas,” said
Laurie Paquette, vice president of Asset Management, General Growth Properties, which owns Fashion Show Mall in addition to casino retail along the Strip, said “For them to decide Vegas is the third market they are going to be in is a good statement about the city. Between the tourists and the locals, they think this is a great place to be to showcase their product.”
Topshop, whose heritage is in street culture, has become a focal point of British fashion and has more than 90,000 square feet at London’s Oxford Circus. It attracts more than 200,000 shoppers a week.
British supermodel Kate Moss designed her first collection for Topshop. Topshop has been selling its goods through Barney’s New York.
It features designer clothes, accessories and cosmetics at what Paquette said is an intermediate price range.
“Topshop is one of the major style authorities and one of fashions biggest success stories,” Paquette said. “They are very much a high-fashion current-trend retailer with a major focus on personal shopping and service.”
The two stores will have a combined 22,000 square feet at Fashion Show Mall on the first level near Forever 21. They will take over space vacated by J. Crew and space currently occupied by Levi’s and Gap, both of which are relocating in the mall.
Construction is scheduled to start in the fall.
Paquette cited an aggressive leasing strategy in being successful in landing Topshop and Topman, and the British retailer apparently preferred a mall setting where it could sell not only to tourists but locals as well, she said.