BBC - Trouble at Topshop (2022)

It was once the coolest shop on the High Street, loved by teens worldwide. How did this global fashion icon go from Kate Moss and Beyoncé collabs to closing its doors for good?

Chapter 1:
It's the eve of the millennium, and hope is in the air. Topshop, under the leadership of brand director Jane Shepherdson, is making a name for itself as a place where celebrities and models brush shoulders with school kids - all in search of the brand's cool and cutting-edge fashion. In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Topshop is doing something different: women are creating desirable and affordable clothes for women. And what Jane and her team are selling, everyone is buying.

Half a mile from Topshop's central London store, Philip Green, an ambitious retailer determined to make a name for himself, has his sights set on the BHS, a struggling department store that is ripe for a takeover. Within months of taking charge, the brand's fortunes have been transformed, and Philip Green has become a household name. His reputation as a shrewd risk-taker who can spot a bargain is growing - as is his ambition to expand his empire.

This he does in 2002, when he seizes the opportunity to do a deal for Arcadia - Topshop's parent company. When the deal is finalised, Arcadia is owned by his wife's company, Taveta Investments, which puts him in charge of some of the high street's biggest names.

The stage is set for a battle for the soul of Topshop. Green is the antithesis of Jane Shepherdson, and rumours of intimidating behaviour and cost-cutting precede his arrival. But Jane is determined to create a bulletproof dome around the brand she and her team have built. And for a few years, her strategy works. Topshop is making a lot of money for Arcadia, and Green is enjoying the attention this prestige brand brings.

Chapter 2:
As the world faces an economic meltdown, Green is defiant: Topshop is going to conquer the world. As the decade unfolds, profits are suffering and bad press is building. For the first time, Green is faced with a hostile public both personally and professionally - and this animosity is felt in the Topshop stores.