Topshop started as a brand extension of the department store 

Peter Robinson in the 1960s and

originally sold fashion by young British designers, such as Mary Quant and Stirling Cooper. Peter
Robinson was a women's fashion chain that had been acquired by Burton in 1946.[6] Topshop was
founded in 1964 as Peter Robinson's Top Shop, a youth brand within the Sheffield branch and
also had a large department in the Oxford Street shop. This was high fashion for the "young and
different generation" as The Times put it in 1965, and the department stocked garments by
names such as Mary Quant and Gerald McCann.[7][8] By 1966, it had a branch in the Peter
Robinson store in Norwich.[9]
Peter Robinson's Top Shop buyer Diane Wadey had an eye for young talent and
introduced Royal College of Art graduate Jane Whiteside to Jeff Cooper and Ronnie Stirling – the
Stirling Cooper brand they created soon had its own sections in Top Shop shops in London and
Sheffield, as well as being stocked in Peter Robinson stores in Norwich and Bristol.[10][11] Other
brands stocked at Top Shop included Jeff Banks, French Connection and Radley Cooper.[12]
Topshop started as a brand extension of the department store Peter Robinson in the 1960s and
originally sold fashion by young British designers, such as Mary Quant and Stirling Cooper. Peter
Robinson was a women's fashion chain that had been acquired by Burton in 1946.[6] Topshop was
founded in 1964 as Peter Robinson's Top Shop, a youth brand within the Sheffield branch and
also had a large department in the Oxford Street shop. This was high fashion for the "young and
different generation" as The Times put it in 1965, and the department stocked garments by
names such as Mary Quant and Gerald McCann.[7][8] By 1966, it had a branch in the Peter
Robinson store in Norwich.[9]
Peter Robinson's Top Shop buyer Diane Wadey had an eye for young talent and
introduced Royal College of Art graduate Jane Whiteside to Jeff Cooper and Ronnie Stirling – the
Stirling Cooper brand they created soon had its own sections in Top Shop shops in London and
Sheffield, as well as being stocked in Peter Robinson stores in Norwich and Bristol.[10][11] Other
brands stocked at Top Shop included Jeff Banks, French Connection and Radley Cooper.[12]
Topshop started as a brand extension of the department store Peter Robinson in the 1960s and
originally sold fashion by young British designers, such as Mary Quant and Stirling Cooper. Peter
Robinson was a women's fashion chain that had been acquired by Burton in 1946.[6] Topshop was
founded in 1964 as Peter Robinson's Top Shop, a youth brand within the Sheffield branch and
also had a large department in the Oxford Street shop. This was high fashion for the "young and
different generation" as The Times put it in 1965, and the department stocked garments by
names such as Mary Quant and Gerald McCann.[7][8] By 1966, it had a branch in the Peter
Robinson store in Norwich.[9]
Peter Robinson's Top Shop buyer Diane Wadey had an eye for young talent and
introduced Royal College of Art graduate Jane Whiteside to Jeff Cooper and Ronnie Stirling – the
Stirling Cooper brand they created soon had its own sections in Top Shop shops in London and
Sheffield, as well as being stocked in Peter Robinson stores in Norwich and Bristol.[10][11] Other
brands stocked at Top Shop included Jeff Banks, French Connection and Radley Cooper.[12]