AH asked me to be her plus one for the Topshop Breakfast Party held at their flagship store at Knightsbridge on Orchard Road, so at 9 am I rolled out of bed and began my hike over. There were free gifts promised to the first 150 people to arrive, and with the event scheduled to begin at 10 am, we planned to meet outside the store at 9.45 am for our Girls' Morning Out™.
On my way over, there was a brief moment of panic over WhatsApp where we both had a mental image of a massive queue of people snaked around the building. I picked up the pace a little, but when I arrived at exactly 9.45, I found myself tenth in line. I'm fairly sure less than 150 people showed up in the end actually, but I supposed it helped ensure that people turned up on time. The door gift consisted of a Topshop Lip Crayon (Mine was in Secret Party) and a notebook with covers chosen by the young designers of Topshop Unique (I got Simone Rocha's, which seemed very much like an ode to pink roses). We were also given a 20% off voucher each, which could only be used once and on the day itself.
I didn't realize the event was to promote Topshop's free Personal Shopping service until I saw this sign, but there was very little time to bask in my moment of enlightenment. Once we stepped through the doors, I was nearly run over by the crush of people who surged forward to relieve the waitress standing by this sign of all the canapes on her tray. The throng only abated when one of the Topshop staff members announced that there was more food in the basement.
'Breakfast' consisted of as many tiny canapes you could get your hands on. Privé Catering was in charge of the food and drinks for the event, and their professional butlers roamed around the basement with trays of food and juices. There was a choice between orange juice (Which came with a slice of orange in it) or cranberry juice (Which came with a Maraschino cherry at the bottom). I drained three glasses of cranberry juice before the talk even began - it was so hot outside and the drinks were addictive and icy cold.
 |
| After much of the madness had died down |
It must be absolutely terrifying to be a Privé butler at an event like this. You've basically got groups of people stalking your every move and descending on you in swarms once they see you're carrying something they want. AH and I were entirely taken with the smoked duck breast with a balsamic reduction on our first bite, and after dumping our stuff on our chosen seats we went a-hunting for more nibbles. This being a fashion event, there were people left and right who were daintily picking at the lean bit of duck and leaving the skin and the fat behind, much to my abject horror.
We also really enjoyed the mushroom tartlet. We shamelessly went around emptying entire trays. After the talk ended and I'd spent an age trying on clothes, I thought all the food had gone, but some lovely person came round to the accessories section where AH and I were and offered us the last of the banana and walnut cakes with cream cheese. Since the cake was going straight from the tray into my mouth, I sort of gave him an incredulous laugh when he proffered some napkins as my hand clawed toward the cake.
(I suppose D is right, I do need deportment lessons)
 |
| Tis pity they were so small |
The talk itself consisted of the Personal Shoppers from the Knightsbridge and Ion branches of Topshop reminding us about the service provided, and giving a presentation on remaining fashion forward at music festivals. They were joined by Roz, the statuesque DJ who hosts the morning show on 98.7FM. With the 1 World Music Festival happening next weekend at the Marina Barrage, all three of them went through various key pieces and gave handy tips on layering, as well as practical advice on attending festivals in general. (Handy Hint: Don't bring a bag, if not you'll end up lugging around the belongings of all your friends.)
At the end of the event there was a short giveaway session where two people walked away with pairs of tickets to the 1 World Music Festival. AH and I can't make it next weekend, and everyone else seemed so keen that we didn't bother competing with them. The both of us had our eyes on a couple of shirts, so once the talk wrapped up we zipped off to our respective racks.
I got this gorgeous blue silk shirt from the Topshop Boutique range at 20% off thanks to the event. It's still a bit baggy given the narrowness of my shoulders, but the more I had it on the more I liked it, and I couldn't say the same of everything else I tried. It's also a much better fit than the Marni for H&M blouse that M constantly despairs of, which I love for the feel of the material alone.
270 Orchard Road, #01-05/06, Singapore 238857
No comments:
Post a Comment