Topman Design was all about louche leisurewear, boys of the Playboy Mansion: teenage Hugh Hefners in flowing paisley pyjamas, silky chocolate harem pants and tasseled slip-on shoes with no socks. All sorts of classic patterns were taken apart and then mixed in together again. In particular, the use of William Morris-esque prints spoke of the decadence and homoeroticism of the Aesthetic movement – British lads in mop bowl-cuts and short shorts – while Art Deco geometrics brought Paris and the Pink Panther to mind. And, apart from all this, there was slim double-breasted suiting in pale shades, thick knits in even thicker grades of colour, and T-shirts in an almost Missoni-esque abstraction. If Dorian Gray shopped on the high street, he’d be straight down to Topman!
Text: Dean Kissick
