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LONDON, United Kingdom — Taking style cues from 1980s London youth tribes, Topshop Unique creative director Kate Phelan continued her exploration of the Topshop girl "art school mix". References from post-punk visual artist Linder Sterling and London's fashion markets in the same period ran throughout the show's collection, which was held in Spitalfields' market in London's East End.
Models sported an assortment of high-waisted cigarette trousers, sheer floral blouses, and pencil skirts in zebra prints, scarlet and vinyl leather. Bold make-up and heavily side-parted hair went with oversized coats, bright punky knits and delicate slip dresses slashed to the thigh. Mixing in the model's tomboyish sensibility and love for heritage, the unexpected mash-up of references summed up what Phelan sees in today's British girl — daring, outlandish, and eclectic.
