Beyoncé Makes a Surprise Appearance at the Topshop Party

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Sir Philip Green knows how to party. Last night the billionaire Topshop owner took over a corner of New York’s Grand Central Station for a mega blowout to celebrate his new Fifth Avenue flagship. “A lot of people asked me today, ‘How long have you been thinking about New York?,” he said. “Well in 1979, I opened my first store in London. That’s quite a long time to be thinking about Fifth Avenue…I’m really proud that we’ve taken our time and found a place on 49^th and Fifth.”

The event marked the final installment of the brand’s #Unlock5th mission that had included short films and social media pushes by resident New Yorkers Julia Restoin Roitfeld and Hailey Baldwin. The latter sported a punky braid and wore a long lace Topshop confection that she and her agent had chosen together. “I didn’t know that you could do events here to be honest,” she said, taking in the opulent locale, which was filled with editors of every stripe as well as Naomi Campbell, Nicky and Paris Hilton, Hailee Steinfeld and Bella Hadid. When the topic of the evening’s surprise performer was broached, Baldwin demurred. “I heard a rumor. But I shan’t say what I heard. I’m excited about it though.”

Then at that very instant Beyoncé appeared in the doorway of the train station like a mythical creature. Could it be? Was it true? It would make perfect sense given the new co-branded athleisure company that she recently announced with Green. But alas, almost as quickly as Yonce appeared, stopping to pose with Green for photos, she was gone. Some of us, though, held out hope. “Omg I looooooove her, but she just went and got on a plane,” Cara Delevingne confided on her way to the table. “She’s gone baby!”

Instead Green arranged for Lionel Richie, Jessie J, and Nick Jonas to perform to the crowd of hundreds. Like we said, the man knows how to party.