By twenty-four, wasn't just a brand; it was a movement. She didn’t believe in the "complete look." She believed that if you got the top right, the rest of the outfit would fall into place.
The story of her breakout show, The Upper Hand , is still whispered about in industry circles. Instead of a traditional runway, Tops lined up fifty models behind a frosted glass wall that only revealed them from the waist up. The audience didn't see shoes, trousers, or skirts. They saw a floating army of architectural linen, pleated organza, and recycled tech-mesh. tops*fashion
Tops had always seen the world in silhouettes. While other girls her age were obsessing over pop stars, Tops was in her grandmother’s attic in Bangkok, deconstructing vintage silk scarves to see how the bias cut hugged a mannequin’s frame. She earned her nickname because, quite frankly, she refused to design anything else. "The face is the soul," she’d say, "so the frame—the shoulders, the neckline, the drape—must be the masterpiece." By twenty-four, wasn't just a brand; it was a movement