Kate Moss and Topshop Split: Why Breaking Up Isn't Hard to Do
In the (continuing) annals of celebrity spokesmodel/designers turned retail mavens then dumped, Kate Moss is parting ways with Topshop after a three year run. Unlike the recent flap at Baby Phat in which Kimora Lee Simmons was shoved out the door, the British high street apparel chain maintains the split is amicable and the supermodel simply has "other commitments." Regardless of the reason, it's a smart move for a fast fashion retailer that wants to keep pace with global trendsetters.
Let's face it, there are very few front page faces who can continue to attract legions of devoted shoppers, season after season. Jaclyn Smith for Kmart (SHLD) is the only one who comes to mind. She of the ageless angelic countenance and the classic yet contemporary separates has been in the celebrity collaboration business with Kmart since 1985. Rather than show her the revolving door, the discount chain's used her familiar face as a steady beacon of sales in the sometimes-stormy seas of its own evolution.
Moss, on the other hand, is a chameleon of personal style -- much lauded by fashion editors and young trendsetters alike. Her design prowess, not so much. After 13 collections, David Shaw, an author and lecturer in fashion business, told the BBC that Topshop customers may have a little "fatigue" with her designs.
Indeed, how many seasons can one retailer expect to sell slouchy tees or soigné slipdresses with only slight variations? Moss' preliminary designs from 2007 look strikingly similar to Topshop's Fall 2010 styles. Not to mention shoppers larger than a UK size 8 also wanted, ahem, something more for their proportions.
Topshop's sales increased 10 percent when the Kate Moss collection debuted. However, Moss' compensation rose from £3 million to £4 million annually even after Topshop cut her contributions from six collections to two per year -â€" all while many of the items were finding their way to the bargain bins at Barney's.
Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green may have grown tired of Moss, too. Though he once claimed her as a "daughter," the high street billionaire's own teenager Chloe not only has her eye on the mechanics of papa's business, but wants to break into apparel design herself.
Like many a parent refusing to play favorites, Sir Philip Green hasn't shoved Miz Moss completely away. Topshop will continue to carry her designs, beginning with a re-launch of the most popular pieces from her first collection. This is to be followed by smaller, capsule collections (around 15 items) two to three times a year.
In this way Topshop maintains its tie to the ubiquitous face of fashion -- Moss is currently appearing unclothed in David Yurman jewelry ads and designing handbags for Longchamp, among other ventures --and the supermodel can collect the balance due on her 2008 contract. After that? Perhaps when the 36-year old turns 40, she'll take Linda Evangelista's place as the face of Talbot's. And Topshop can farm the newest pool of models (think Chanel Iman, Alexa Chung) for a freshly spun take on trends.
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