Kate Moss and a crowd of more than 1,000 screaming, bargain-hungry clotheshorses stampeded into SoHo yesterday to welcome a new British invasion — the US debut of the celeb-fave London fashion boutique Topshop.
The supermodel dramatically appeared from behind a curtain as confetti fell and the doors opened at 11 a.m. She briefly posed for pictures while the crowd of eager consumers chanted her name.
Moss — whose clothing designs are one of the store’s top draws — quietly slipped away without saying anything as Topshop workers let the first customers into the store at Broadway and Broome Street.
“If I see something, I’m just gonna grab it,” declared Ivana Robles, 18, of Queens, who with her friend was first in line after arriving at 6 a.m.
“I’m looking to build my spring wardrobe,” Robles said.
Once inside, her friend, Krystle Ortiz de Villate, 19, went on a mini-spending spree that didn’t break the bank.
She picked up a floral miniskirt for $90, a Union Jack wallet for $36, a gray blazer for $100 and a tank dress for $90. She even got a $15 discount on her bill.
“I’ll probably come back for other things,” she said. “I had fun.”
Topshop has come to the United States after becoming a staple of the London fashion world, counting stars like Keira Knightley and Kirsten Dunst as customers.
With four floors and 25,000 square feet of shopping space in its SoHo location, Topshop is well positioned for economic hard times. It features relatively affordable prices, such as $64 jeans and $85 jackets. Fashion-world observers see it as a rival to mid-range stores such as H&M and Mango.
To make the deals even better, store workers yesterday handed out gift cards for as much as $500 to people in line.
Robles, however, said that the real allure is that Topshop items are new to the States.
“A lot of people don’t know about Topshop,” she said. “I like to stand out.”
The last person in line at the opening was Emilie Miller, 29, an aspiring actress from Brooklyn. She had only two hours before she had to be to work — and she started worrying after surveying the huge crowd in front of her.
“I lived in London for a year and I buy things online from Topshop all the time,” she said. “I’ll be annoyed if I don’t get in,” said Miller, who eventually got into the store to shop.