Topman opened the spring/summer 2016 shows at London Collections Men with a show that crammed in enough youth culture references to test even the most enthusiastic of trainspotters.
Northern Soul was the most obvious – its influence was seen in wide-legged trousers and vests (all the better for spinning around the dance floor) and patched jackets – while classic New York punk references came in the form of studded denim (very Billy Idol). Some prints had designs resembling the logos of post-punk bands like PiL.
Anoraks had an 1980s casual colour palate, and, to tick the 2015 “essential nineties moment”, one T-shirt sloganed with “Soul Nites”, which looked like a Pulp tour T-shirt circa 1995. A nice additional touch was the mixtape of the show’s soundtrack, which appeared on each guest’s seat.
This was the patchwork of references that looked like a brand’s moodboard made into clothes. Indeed, design director Gordon Richardson is all about the mix-up. He says it’s the way to keep things modern – essential when appealing to the teens and 20-somethings shopping in store, none of whom were even alive when these movements were in full swing. “The great thing about Topman is that we’re a cross-section of things,” he says. “We’re not just one esoteric viewpoint.”
He admits, however, that he has a soft spot for northern soul’s hedonistic, living-for-the-dance-floor culture. “I love that kind of reference,” he says. “It’s good music and people having a good time.” Richardson even believes it may hold the key to the Great Trouser Debate – AKA getting men out of their beloved skinny jeans. “It’s a chance to bring back the wider trouser,” he explains, pointing to the wide-legged strides worn with vests in the show. “The more context you can put something into the more relatable it is.”
It will be a tough ask to get all young British men to take up the uniform of a 70s subculture, but it might just work, as it did the first time around, for a very happy niche.
