It wasn’t until look 17 that I spied her—although I wasn’t totally sure. The last time might have been in a regional nightclub in the mid aughts, or weaving through a busy high street. But here she was, ensconced in a faux fur dalmatian print scarf, walking with purpose through London’s Trafalgar Square. Was it Joni, or was it Jamie?

Well, whichever of the denim demigods that once defined many a British millennial wardrobe it was, she marked a key tenet in the big comeback parade of Topshop (and Topman). The once beloved British retail giant made its big return on a muggy August Saturday, its first runway show in seven years.

Photo: Dave Benett

The catwalk show featured both Topshop and Topman designs for fall winter 2025, on a cast of new and some unsigned models scouted by Wilhelmina Models London in an open casting call. With the National Portrait Gallery as its backdrop and the iconic Topshop doubledecker bus in the fore, most pieces shown were ‘see now, buy now’ with others from a forthcoming drop on topshop.com, which launched a day previous. The show soundtrack started with Doechii’s “Anxiety” and Beyoncé, as well as the city’s own Skepta and SAULT.

The Topshop looks included several pieces from Cara Delevingne’s edit, like a pea green faux fur maxi coat and a borg patchwork coat, and a pleated, oversized gray suit. There was a suite of denim, from the aforementioned high-rise, skinny-fit Jamie and Joni jeans—the tides have truly been turning again toward the slimmer denim silhouette they once defined—and an embellished utility jumpsuit. There were kooky combos of Prada-esque pillbox hats, Ferragamo-style sculptural heels, and Valentino’s jewel-toned palette in the form of faux leather bomber jackets and skirt suits, while a red moto jacket over a long-trained, red sequin gown gave elevated indie sleaze. There were polka tights beneath an arpeggiated hem polka dot skirt, dalmatian and cow prints, colors of aubergine, chocolate, and inky navy.

For Topman, grandad knits—some styled in novel ways, with a sweater wrapped around a model’s head like a Keinemusik gig crowd for fall—and barrel jeans. Formalwear and outerwear were the focus with a few playful, youthful takes, like a bottle green faux fur bomber, a chocolate brown sheer shirt underneath a tailored suede jacket, and a tie knotted through the belt loops of a sharp suit. As well, embroidered jersey pieces and denim in shades of indigo, gray, and black. The models also carried doctor’s bags with fluffy faux fur.

Photo: Dave Bennet

Photo: Dave Bennet

Photo: Dave Bennet

While Topshop was founded in Sheffield in 1964, its true zenith was in the last two decades, where it brought the trends of high fashion to the high street. A design collaboration with Kate Moss set the industry standard for what’s now part and parcel of celebrity brand-dom, and partnerships with Christopher Kane and Meadham Kirchhoff will still set you back on eBay. At its peak, Topshop had 300 stores in the UK, 11 in the US, and 100 international franchises in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The London flagship on Oxford Street, with multiple levels, a vintage curation, beauty treatments, and a DJ, was an institution for anyone finding their style in the mid-aughts.