It's the Moss-have fashion!

May 1 2007 By Jane Tyler, Birmingham Mail

KATE Moss fever hit Birmingham today when dedicated follows of fashion set their alarm clocks early to copy her style.

Around 150 fashion conscious women went without sleep to be first in the queue when the supermodel's first clothes range went on sale in Topshop in the Bullring at 7am.

The chain opened two hours early especially to sell the icon's first range, which she has designed for the store.

Heading the queue was Vanessa Hyland, aged 18, and her boyfriend Neal Owen, aged 33, both from Erdington.

The couple had brought tents and folding chairs and camped outside the Bullring since midnight to ensure they had first grab at the clobber.

Vanessa, a shop assistant, said: "We got here so early because we didn't know if there would be stiff competition from fellow Kate fans."

She said she had set herself a budget of £250 and planed to buy a dress, hot pants and T-shirts.

Topshop limited each customer to five pieces and devised a wrist band system which restricted the number of people in the store at any one time and gave them just 20 minutes each.

Second in the queue were aerobics instructors Steph Mincher, aged 31, from Wolverhampton, and Heidi Brookes, aged 36, from Lichfield.

They got there at 5am and had researched what they were going to buy by going online and looking in fashion magazines.

Steph said: "I wouldn't say I'm a big Kate fan but the range does look good and I'm looking forward to wearing it."

Heidi said: "She is a fashion icon but the good thing about this range is that you don't have to be super skinny to wear it."

Also there at 5am were friends Julia Schneider, aged 21, and Jessica Cram, aged 20, both students from Coventry.

The Birmingham scenes were copied across the country today as the collection went on sale in 200 high street stores.

The clothing range is made up of 50 designs priced from £12 for a vest top to £150 for a cropped leather jacket.

Other items in the collection include skinny jeans, one-shoulder mini dresses and T-shirts with the letter K woven into their designs.

The range was criticised by media in the US, with the New York Post describing the designs as: "... like Kate copying a lot of other people's stuff Kate's worn before".