I was introduced to Topshop when I moved to London in my 20’s and what an introduction it was; Topshop Oxford Street. It didn’t stop there. Topshop became a regular fixture in my fashion evolution and when I moved to Ireland it was a regular meeting spot for my sister and I, catching up on the day, planning dinner and stopping into Topshop on the way home. Nostalgia plays such an important role in our wardrobes so while I have very fond memories of Topshop, it is hard to ignore its rise and fall. I always have my eye out for Topshop maternity pieces because of pure nostalgia. And I know I am not the only one. Everyone has a story about Topshop, and so I want to make Topshop live on a bit longer for all of us who felt cool enough to shop there.
Taking away my nostalgia, it is time to look at Topshop in terms of sustainability. Now owned by ASOS, I started my research there. ASOS presents some impressive claims on what it wants to achieve by 2030;
‘100% Customers will be able to easily view and interact with information on the sustainability credentials of 100% of ASOS-brand products by 2030’
‘100% of ASOS own-brand products made from recycled or more sustainable materials by 2030, with pathways in place for prioritising high-impact materials.’
That all sounds wonderful and I hope it comes to fruition, but I wanted to know what is happening now. Unlike the ‘100%’ claims splashed across their corporate responsibility section, somewhere in the small print you can find a link to their ‘Fashion with Integrity Progress Update (September 2021 – August 2022)’. I attempted to read this 65 page document but to say I could not make sense of it is an understatement. There are some pieces of information that caught my eye though, like this statement; ‘Methodology and calculations Data in this report, unless specifically stated, has not been verified or assured by a third-party. ASOS has completed internal data validation checks on calculations. A summary of the methodologies and systems used to collect and calculate key performance indicators discussed in this report is overleaf.’ If the numbers haven’t been verified by a third party, how are we to trust what results ASOS are presenting to us?
My next stop, and usually my go-to for fashion sustainability was Good On You., an ethical brand rating app. They focus on People, Animal and Plants, using a 5-point scale from We Avoid to Great. Topshop does not fare well on this scale, coming in at number 2 on the scale, ‘Not Good Enough‘. Good On You really do the hard work for you and present the information in a digestible way, unlike ASOS’s 65 page document of I don’t know what.
In my mind, Topshop no longer exists. As an online brand, there is nothing to separate it from ASOS or indeed New Look, or any other fast fashion brand. With Mother Dragon’s mission to use what’s already in the supply chain, added to my nostalgia for the brand, I feel even more determined to give preloved Topshop maternity clothes new life, especially considering the company’s poor approach to sustainability.
If you want to read more about Topshop, I found these to be helpful
Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock – Where did it all go wrong for Topshop?
The BOF Podcast – Dissecting the Rise, Fall adn Future of Topshop
Jo @ Mother Dragon
