American Retailer Forever 21 Enters the UK High Street Fashion Scene

Fast fashion has been speeding up in the 21^st century, epitomized by global social networking. U.S. retail chain Forever 21, known for its quick turnover and trendy fashion at affordable prices, opened its first European Flagship store on none other than the busiest shopping street in London, Oxford Street. The morning of July 27, 2011, saw queues of hundreds of people waiting in line to enter the new three-story retail haven.

The store itself is impressive, grandiose, and beautifully lit; however the sheer volume of customers searching for their trendy bargain, flinging clothes from left-to-right generates an atmosphere that is slightly frenetic and chaotic yet lively and upbeat. With no item priced above 40£, this U.S. retailer is going to give High Street fashion chains in the UK a run for their money; Marks and Spencer, New Look, and Primark in particular will have to be wary of their new competition.

For their widely anticipated opening on Oxford Street, Forever 21 teamed up with funky fashion blogger Bip Ling, (www.bipling.com) as the new fresh face for their ad campaign. The blogging world has been going mad for the 21-year old It-girl, who chronicles her glamorous and crazy lifestyle, archives her favorite trends, and even finds time to model and DJ around London.

Adorned with cute red patent heels and tiny maroon dungaree shorts, Bip Lang hopped happily along Oxford Street greeting the massive queue before cutting the ribbon and sidestepping the stampeding crowd of teenagers. Click on the following link to watch what Bip Ling had to say about being the new Forever 21 Ambassador (Bip Ling Video).

According to FT.com, many people were first introduced to Forever 21 via social networking Websites. Discovered through the likes of Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube, shoppers and employees alike have utilized this media globalization as a way to expand their fashion knowledge and creativity.

Melissa Mogur, one of the shop assistants who applied for a job after seeing a YouTube video, says, “It’s not expensive, you can jazz it up or dress it down. It’s always cheaper here. Plus, it’s different from other stores in the UK. Things from Primark or Topshop, everyone knows. Stuff here has an edge.”

We love the fashionable, quirky and affordable fashion that Forever 21 has to offer! What do you think? Check out some pictures of the new Oxford Street store below.

Written by: Kimberly Dreisinger