Let’s Talk About How Good These Topshop Pieces Are

After the models stormed the catwalk, '80s super style, for the finale of the Topshop Unique show, editors, buyers, and A-listers shuffled toward the door — but instead of an exit, there was a store...one that looked a lot like Topshop, unsurprisingly. Complete with racks, changing rooms, and a shiny namesake vinyl on the wall, the retail space was selling a selection of clothes that had just been sent down the runway, so you could leave wearing the look you instagrammed on Lineisy Montero just four minutes earlier. Exit through the gift shop, indeed.

From Moschino to Burberry (and Chanel conceptually, via its fall/winter '15 supermarket), various labels have been experimenting with the idea of "see now, buy now" for the last few years. But it's never been so direct as it was today, where there was no app to download or pre-order, just the item, in your size, right in front of you. It was a well-executed process and one that makes perfect sense for Topshop, reminding us that purchase and profit is what ultimately keeps the fashion industry in business.

So what did we want from the latest offering? PVC was a key material for spring, appearing in tight, high-neck dresses and calf-length pencil skirts, both with large slits up the front, cut higher than you dare. Slits also appeared on both sides of zebra-printed silk dresses and heavier gray wool pencil skirts. High-waisted trousers, tweed blazers, and slouchy '80s trench coats created an office uniform that transitioned into evening, as did sheer black dresses that used well-positioned panels to cover up certain parts of the body.

It was a sexy collection in the traditional sense of the word, in that it played with concealing and revealing. The less-everyday-friendly looks might have put off some shoppers, but there was plenty to desire (including one particular cropped leather jacket in navy that jumped straight to the top of our shopping list). If you're hoping to snap up pieces from the collection, though, you better hurry. Click on to buy the looks before they completely sell out.