Fashion-conscious shoppers flock to Style Birmingham
STYLE-conscious shoppers flocked to the second city for their latest fashion fix.
More than 2,000 people attended the Birmingham Style Live event , staged at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s Gas Hall as part of the city’s Big Weekend spectacular.
Hosted by TV personality, Mark Wright, visitors to Style Birmingham Live were treated to catwalk shows, goody bags, events and special offers at various participating retailers, as well as styling advice from celebrity stylist, Mark Heyes.
A range of retailers showcased collections at this year’s show, including the city’s brand new John Lewis, Jigsaw, Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, Coast, Moss Bros, Hawes & Curtis and award-winning independents, Liquor Store and Disorder. Retailers from Bullring also got involved, including Cos, Radley, Warehouse, River Island, Reiss, Karen Millen, New Look, Jones Bootmaker, Debenhams and Michelle Keegan’s new Lipsy collection.
Katherine Ottewell, Store Manager at M&S Birmingham, said: “We were thrilled to be involved in Style Birmingham Live and to be part of such an iconic week for the city. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the latest M&S collections and was encouraging to see so many Birmingham residents come out and support the event.”
Mark Howard, co-owner and designer at award-winning independent store, Disorder Boutique, said: “Style Birmingham Live is such a professionally produced and high profile event which gives our store exposure to a wider audience and puts us on a level footing with the big global retailers.”
Jonathan Cheetham, chair at Retail Birmingham and general manager of Grand Central, added: “Style Birmingham Live is a fantastic opportunity for retailers to showcase their new products and collections directly to their target audience and to capitalise on the additional footfall it brings to the city.
“Each year our retailers quote increased sales figures and footfall as a result of Style Birmingham Live. With the Birmingham Weekender and Grand Central also pulling in the crowds over the weekend, this year has been the most successful yet.”
In total, an estimated 150,000 people are thought to have flooded into the city for the Big Weekend, enjoying events such as the Rugby World Cup at Villa Park and the first full weekend of the Grand Central shopping centre.
