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Has Topman's Sir Philip Green been cribbing from J. Crew's Mickey Drexler's playbook? The UK men's retailer has just opened its first Topman General Store in London's Shoreditch neighborhood—stocked with what British GQ calls "a tight edit" and "minimal branding."
With an impressive collection of photography books, vintage furniture and a few bits and pieces from other carefully chosen brands such as Pendleton, Norsea Industries and Percival (plus limited-edition Rite in the Rain notebooks), it looks like the sort of great independent you'd expect to find in Shoreditch, only cheaper and less intimidating. In fact, even the Topman clothes look different, showcased as they are in a way which even the vast, multivalent Oxford Circus flagship can't manage.Hm, sounds a lot like the J. Crew Men's Store concept to us. Is it a coincidence that there's a J. Crew Men's Store right next to the New York Topshop flagship? Inspiration, perhaps, Sir Philip Green?
· Topman General Store in Shoreditch [GQ UK]