Notwithstanding the ghoulish hijinks of Halloween, October is often perceived as a bit of a patchy 'meh' month. Excitement is afoot, however, thanks to Bicester Village in Oxfordshire which is putting the 'all' back into Fall with a focus on talent and creativity - plus a little indulgence. For the second consecutive year, the luxury retail destination has teamed up with the British Fashion Council for a 20- day pop-up event commencing October 8th.
The temporary event will welcome 30 of the most exciting British Designers (full list at the end of this article) specialising in men's and womenswear as well as gifts and accessories.
There's a benevolent side to this project too: each year, the British Fashion Council and The Bicester Village Shopping Collection support and champion British design talent through ‘The Business of Retail’ – an annual programme of business mentorship and commercial opportunity. Work has already begun on this year’s mentees, including, Erdem, Mary Katranzou, Emilia Wickstead, as well as emerging talent, Rejina Pyo, Palmer//Harding, Phoebe English and Mother of Pearl.
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There are currently over 160 boutiques located at Bicester Village counting Chloe, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, Brunello Cucinelli, Givenchy and Fendi. Prices can be up to 60% cheaper than the recommended retail price but the luxury shopping outlet also runs frequent 'Special Discount' days during which prices are dramatically slashed on selected goods - when we visited the outlet, we saw a pair of signature black high-heeled Saint Laurent ankle boots for £65, originally priced at £795.
The shopping village has seriously chic credentials when it comes fine dining: it is home to Café Wolseley, the first restaurant outside London by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King. And it's every bit as good looking as the Piccadilly flagship with the bonus addition of a gift shop which stocks everything from silverware to teatime gourmandises. Book in advance so you don't have to queue and waste value bargain-hunting time.
Labels and designers at the special BFC pop-up 2019:
The boutique will stock Alighieri (above), Bella Freud, Born in the Sun, Camilla Elphick, Cottweiler, Erdem, Eudon Choi, Holly Fulton, Huishan Zhang, Mary Katrantzou, Mother of Pearl, Nicholas Kirkwood, palmer//harding, Paper London, Phoebe English, Preen by Throton Bregazzi, Sharon Wauchob, Sophia Webster, Teatum Jones, Teija, Rixo, Racil, Winser London, Marques Almeida, Hilier Bartley, House of Holland, Roksanda, J&M Anderson.
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