Moss dross as new clothes flop

With all the hype surrounding the most talked about clothing range, fashion fans were expected to be out in the early hours eager to get their hands on the supermodel's outfits at Topshop.

Last week shoppers queued from 2am at Sainsbury's across the region for £5 designer bags, but the Kate Moss collection today failed to generate anything like the same kind of interest.

It was more of an anti-climax locally as only one shopper started a queue in Walsall and that was just 10 minutes before the store opened at 8am, while in Wolverhampton, no one was in the queue when the store opened.

And the queues were also nowhere to be seen in Stafford. But while the Black Country stores were quiet, Birmingham was a different matter as scores of shoppers queued up to get into the Bull Ring's Topshop.

In Walsall, student Karen Claire, 22, was the first at the Park Street store, turning up at 7.50am.

"I decided to come and have a look on my way to university but must admit I thought there would be quite a few people queuing up. I really like Kate Moss's style. Her fashion sense is really good and I'm hoping to get my hands on the suits she has designed," she said.

The small Walsall shop is selling 16 different pieces from the 50-piece Kate Moss collection, which ranges from a £12 vest to £150 leather jacket. Items on sale in Walsall include a floral print dress, £45, and black hot pants £30.

Topshop in the Merry Hill shopping centre proved to be more popular with shoppers as more than a dozen people were waiting outside the store to get their hands on some of the key items.

Mary Schouten, 56, from Pensnett said: "I am here to get some items for my daughter who lives in Holland where she can't get the clothes. I'm not getting anything for myself."

Shelley Ford, 23, from Wednesbury said: "I have been here since 7am as I thought the store was opening at 8. I think this collection will prove quite popular. I am not sure that Kate Moss is a great example for women but everybody loves her clothes and everyone's really interested in it."

Heidi Shepherd, 37, of Stourbridge said: "I got here about 8am this morning and have come to get the waistcoat that has been advertised in a lot of magazines."

Laura Twiss, aged 20, from Stafford, queued at 6.30am outside the Stafford branch of Sainsbury's last week to get her hands on a designer shopping bag. She said: "I can't believe I'm doing this for the second time in a week. The Stafford branch of TopShop was only getting a few bits in I heard so I decided to come to Merry Hill as I thought it might be a bit quieter."