All the Way to the TopShop

Coming soon to a mall near you: TopShop.

It's official. The British retail chain will open a flagship store at Fashion Show mall in March 2012.

Its arrival will mark Vegas as the third American city, behind New York and Chicago respectively, to host a TopShop flagship store.

What does that mean for Vegas shoppers? For starters, they've earned a little respect. Considering Swedish retailer H&M made its foray into our city in 2007 with strictly juniors merchandise and arrived too late to be considered fashionably late, it goes to show the Vegas shopping scene has matured on a global level.

Barneys New York, the slew of flagships at Crystals at CityCenter, and H&M bringing its largest store in the world to the Forum Shops have all decorated Vegas' cap with lovely feathers. But, TopShop proves there's always room for one more.

TopShop, TopMan (the men's line) and the newest addition to the brand, TopShop Make Up, will all be a part of the Vegas store.

From a fashion perspective, the new TopShop will mean 20,000 additional square feet of options. Not predictable options. Fashion-forward options.

For cities that have heard of the trend-focused retailer strictly as a fast fashion source, there's a tendency to bundle it with the H&M's and Forever 21's of the world. One look at TopShop's price tags and that misconception quickly gets a reality check.

"TopShop is nothing like H&M," says Sir Philip Green, TopShop owner. "They do a great job, but they sell fashion cheap, or cheap fashion."

A good chunk of the store's wares lean toward triple-digit prices. Its website currently sells a drapey tuxedo jacket for $170, a drawstring bag for $120, a printed silk dress by in-house designed line Boutique for $245, and skinny jeans from its denim line MOTO for $80. And, silk and cashmere aren't foreign concepts here.

Fashion-minded shoppers conditioned to Prada prices will find the store a deal den. But younger breeds accustomed to paying for small accessories with loose change may experience sticker shock.

That's not to say TopShop doesn't qualify as fast fashion. On the contrary, its London store restocks 100 new styles a week. The Vegas store is expected to restock every two weeks. The difference is a respect for both the "fast" and the "fashion."

Fashion drives the brand. Its in-house designed collection Unique shows at London Fashion Week. For almost a decade TopShop has sponsored NEWGEN, which helps young designers launch their careers. Partnerships with acclaimed talent such as Christopher Kane, Hussein Chalayan, Richard Nicoll and David Koma have helped carve out the edgy, youthful British look that has turned TopShop into more of a culture than a brand.

Certainly boosting that effort were the Kate Moss collections, which gave vintage-inspired pieces some rock star attitude. Sir Philip Green, who was knighted in '06 for his retail accomplishments, took a chance on the then disgraced supermodel after photos of her allegedly snorting cocaine became public in '05.

"I think it was a win-win," says Green. "She's a fashion icon, a trendsetter, trend leader. There's only one Kate Moss."

Moss and TopShop announced last summer that her 14th collection would be her last. Green stayed mum on speculation they could rejoin forces. Meanwhile, spottings of Green with celebrities such as Rihanna and Gwyneth Paltrow have set off design partnership rumors. Green wouldn't confirm any plans for American partnerships.

He did say, however, that TopShop could very well enter the Vegas market before March. He's thinking a couple pop-up shops around the holidays may be on the horizon.

According to retail expert Tom Julian of the Tom Julian Group, it might take Vegas a minute to wrap its head around a fast fashion retailer with $150 floral summer dresses.

"TopShop has popular prices with designer personality ... but it can't work for the working woman or anyone building a wardrobe," he says.

TopShop would probably like to keep it that way, considering it targets the 16- to 25-year-old demographic. Unlike Zara, which can dress the baby boomer and teenager alike.

Current collections in TopShop's look book include Shanghai, Urban Traveller, Gypsy Rocker and Colour Clash, all of which speak to a fashion risk-taker one step ahead of trends.

Julian says the distinct looks (he describes TopMan as Rick Owens meets Tom Ford) will work well with tourists looking for that unexpected experience. Locals, he's not so sure about.

With TopShop's triple-digit prices, however, comes its atmosphere and its service. The Shoe Lounge in the New York store could give the luxury shoe boutiques on the Strip a run for their money in terms of presentation. And, the stores each provide personal stylists who are hired for that service alone.

The Great Recession put price-driven retailers in a glowing spotlight. But the tide could be turning.

"(Fashion Show) has rebounded from a sales perspective. We're at our peak," says Sandeep Mathrani, chief executive officer of General Growth Properties, which owns Fashion Show mall. "It's incredible for Las Vegas. The customers are back and they're shopping."

Fashion Show mall houses the Forever 21 superstore that opened last summer. But Banana Republic, French Connection and Mango (all priced similarly to TopShop), and luxury department store anchors Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue also call the mall home.

Could Fashion Show's resurgent sales figures mean shoppers will revert from bragging about bargain blowouts back to flaunting fashion first?

TopShop sure hopes so.

Follow Xazmin Garza on Twitter at @startswithanx.