Large crowds are anticipated to soak up the celebratory vibe over the first few days upon opening, with a a full DJ line-up, an in store nail bar set-up and a social media corner allowing punters to print out their fashionably filtered Instagram snaps in-store.
Topshop design director Jacqui Markham is confident Topshop's "iconic British brand heritage" will resonate with New Zealand shoppers.
"The whole thing about Topshop Topman is doing things slightly differently from the norm. So I do think we've carved out our own identity," she told nzherald.co.nz during a private interview.
"For me it's always been about having fun with fashion. I don't ever want it to feel too serious or too prescriptive. It's very much about a girl's individual style.
"We offer such a broad range and diversity within the range - so we have the tomboy girl, we have the girly girl, we have the party girl, we have the minimal girl - we constantly try to sanity-check the range to make sure we have all the bases covered."
Watch: Topshop design director Jacqui Markham tells us what to expect and shares her three key pieces to add to a women's wardrobe this season.
Markham, who paid her first visit to New Zealand for this week's grand opening, said the Topshop team are "actively looking" for new spaces to open stores in Wellington and Christchurch.
"There seems like genuine affection for the brand and desire for us to be here," she said.
The flagship store on Queen St will receive 300 new styles a week, just 10 days behind what's on the racks in the UK and prices will be comparable to what shoppers spend online plus shipping, Topshop New Zealand brand manager Sarah Harris told nzherald.co.nz.
There will also be a selection of "counter-seasonal" pieces, allowing Kiwis to dress appropriately for the season. Products range in price from the $4.50 nail buffer to the $440 Topshop Boutique ruffle dress.
Ground floor sections are separated into trends, a muse collection and Topshop Boutique, as well as large parts dedicated to denim, petites, basics and casual wear. Upstairs, shoppers will find accessories, beauty, shoes and another Topshop collection - for the opening shoppers can browse cool 70s-inspired festival wears. The front, sunny section of the mezzanine is made up of smart and casual Topshop Man garments.
Watch: Topman Creative Director Gordon Richardson gives Kiwi guys an idea of what to expect and shares his styling tips for gents.
The opening of the first New Zealand store on Auckland's bustling Queen St will bring 55 new jobs to the country, from the floor staff up to styling managers and PR, Markham said.
Karen Walker has operated a small Topshop and Topman outlet inside Takapuna's The Department Store since 2010.
She said last year that the "store-in-store", which offers only a limited range of products, has been wildly popular and taking the British brands to the next level has always been her plan.
"Anything you want you can get at Topshop," Walker says. "We probably only buy about 5 per cent of what they put out [for the Takapuna outlet]."
Walker partnered with local clothing seller Barkers and Christchurch rich-lister Philip Carter to form a new company, Top Retail, which secured the rights to own, develop and operate the London-based brand across this country.
Topshop, majority owned by British tycoon Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group, is known for its "fast fashion" - affordable collections based on the latest catwalk trends - and collaborations with designers such as Celia Birtwell and Christopher Kane.
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- nzherald.co.nz
