Press Releases

LONDON, UK, 16 September 2025  - Top Drawer, the UK’s only dedicated contemporary retail buying event, closed the doors on its A/W25 edition at Olympia after three energetic days of intentional buying and meaningful connections, providing an incredible Destination Design in the heart of London. Carefully curated, the show presented a considered line-up across Home, Gift, Greetings & Stationery, Play, Fashion, Food Emporium and Wellbeing. Launchpad added a vibrant stream of emerging talent, giving buyers fresh discoveries that are ready for retail.

Event Director David Westbrooke said, “Top Drawer A/W25 proved that design-led retail is thriving. From independents to international giants, buyers came ready to invest, and the show floor reflected that energy and excitement. With a strong rebook for the 2026 edition, a growing buyer community and partnerships that bridge inspiration and retail reality, Top Drawer continues to be where the season starts.” 

A veritable who’s who of retail came through the doors, from leading independents and multiples to museum stores, department stores and online retailers including Accessorize, Anthropology, Argos, Aria, Barbican Centre, Barnes & Noble, Between the Lines, Blue Diamond, British Museum, Card Factory, Costco, Debenhams, Design Museum, Disney, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, Graham & Green, Habitat, Harrods, Heal's, Hoopers, John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe, Joy, Jumping Bean, Lakeland, Lark London, Le Bon Marche, Liberty, Lords at Home, Marks & Spencer, Mint Velvet, Moonpig, National Trust, Natural History Museum, Next, Oliver Bonas, Postmark, RHS, Ryman, Sainsbury's, Scandiborn, Scribbler, Science Museum Group, SCP, Selfridges, Southbank Centre, The Tate, TJX Europe, twentytwentyone, Ulster Stores, Urban Outfitters, Victoria and Albert Museum, Vinegar Hill, Waterstones, and WH Smith Travel.

Headline growth included a core retailer attendance increase of 20%, driven in part by attracting 18% more independent shops , and a 77% uptick in buyers from multiple retailers through the doors. Overall, VIP attendance also grew by 13%, with buyers with a spending power of over £1million increasing by a huge 47%. International attendance also surged by 22%, with visitors joining from 73 countries, underlining Top Drawer’s global significance.

With 4% more stands than in 2024 - driven by an impressive 32% of exhibitors across the show floor making their Top Drawer debut - visitors were treated to inspiration and newness at every turn.

“When you enter Kensington Olympia you are met with over 600 stands-it’s just so overwhelming and exciting…” explained the owner of Scoppa, “I met so many amazing artists and creators and loved talking to them!” 

The team at Taba Naba were equally enthusiastic in their praise: “So many talented artists and entrepreneurs under one roof! Some beautiful products, fascinating stories, great imaginations and inspiring young people! Looking forward to adding some of these brands to Taba Naba very shortly!”

“Top Drawer is by far my favourite show to source from – I love the beautiful venue, the fact that it’s curated with a really high quality of products, and the amount of fresh new talent that’s on offer here that I haven’t seen anywhere else. If you’re a contemporary brand and are serious about wholesale, this is where you need to be.” summarised the owner of the Lark London stores.

Besides the impressive exhibitor roster, buyers were also able to take advantage of the extensive live content on offer at the event; at the Retail Revealed Live stage visitors enjoyed informed and current sessions from Therese Ørtenblad, Becky Lombardo, Francesca Pittaway, Michelle Ojulah, Kirsty Whyte and Catherine Erdly, and The Business Hub also offered one-to-one guidance across wholesale, PR, stop motion and marketing. The UAL Showcase spotlighted fresh design talent that’s primed for trade, reinforcing Top Drawer’s role in helping new brands move from idea to order.

The show’s impressive visitor results saw almost 70% of the show floor being rebooked onsite for A/W26, and exhibitors both new and old were full of praise following 3 days or order-writing, connections and excitement: 

“After 10 years we finally took the leap to do our first tradeshow.” explained Fan Club Clothing, “It’s been amazing to meet so many lovely existing and new stockists, brands and people! We met some incredible new stockists and had the BEST neighbours! We’re buzzing for what’s to come.

Kalei echoed these sentiments after also exhibiting for the first time: “Can’t believe it’s done, somehow felt like 2 seconds, and the longest weekend of my life. Such a huge milestone… getting to showcase my pieces and chat all things Kalei alongside some seriously insane brands has been a total dream. I’ve LOVED meeting so many new faces and connecting over my work. The thought of popping up in beautiful shops around the UK (and maybe even further!) has me buzzing. Massive thank you to Top Drawer for having me!”

“Exhibiting at Top Drawer has filled me with so much joy, colour and connection!” reported By Heather Filby “From meeting the loveliest retailers to chatting about glitter and seeing people light up at my pieces… It feels like things are about to get wonderfully busy… and I’m so ready for it!”

Ohh Deer concurred: “Top Drawer goes from strength to strength every season. It’s such a fun environment, and with all these beautiful brands and retailers, it’s got a fantastic energy that translates into great business being done. To put it simply, Top Drawer is where it’s at!”

A highlight for both stand-holders and visitors this season was Top Drawer’s collaboration with the Design Museum, marked by an intimate evening at the Museum’s Shop that featured exhibitors within its Summer of Design collection. It provided a direct pathway from show floor to shop floor, and celebrated the shared commitment to design excellence.

The Spotlight Awards were also a resounding success, closing out day one with a live celebration of product and presentation across 10 categories. This season’s winners were picked from over 200 entries, and were announced as:

• Best New Product, Fashion:  KOSI London

• Best New Product, Food Emporium: MOTIF

• Best New Product, Gift:  Dog & Bond

• Best New Product, Greetings & Stationery: Pavilion

• Best New Product, Home: Paveau 

• Best New Product, Launchpad: MW Makes

• Best New Product, Play: Noook

• Best New Product, Wellbeing:  LORDS Fragrance House

• Innovation in Design: Sheyn

• Best Stand: Morgan Wright

Top Drawer returns to Olympia London for S/S26 from 11 to 13 January 2026. Registration will open soon. Always curious and always current, Top Drawer continues to make creative retail sourcing cool, informed and incredibly easy.

About Top Drawer
Top Drawer is the UK’s leading, design-led retail trade event, bringing together a global community of buyers, brands and designers for inspiration, connection, and curated sourcing. Held biannually at Olympia London, Top Drawer presents expertly edited sectors across Home, Gift, Fashion, Wellbeing, Play, Greetings & Stationery, Food Emporium, and Launchpad – all carefully selected to reflect the best in contemporary design. As part of Clarion Events’ retail portfolio – which includes the Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival, the January Furniture Show, the Manchester Furniture Show, and digital platform Retail Revealed – Top Drawer continues to set the standard for where design meets retail.

For press enquiries, please contact:
Ren Noel – Marketing Manager | ren.noel@clarionevents.com

For content enquiries, please contact:
Simone Ward – Content Manager | simone.ward@clarionevents.com