British Designers Collective opens

Yesterday, FashionUnited were invited to an exclusive look at Bicester Village’s ‘The British Designers Collective’ initiative, which showcases emerging British design talent in a pop-up concept boutique for six weeks only.

The ‘Brit Shop Mansion’ designed by London-based customer experience design company, Household, takes its inspiration from the ‘quirkier side of Britishness’, staged through a quintessential look and feel with a bespoke chandelier, grand staircase, decorative fireplace, as well as an over-scaled topiary hedge covering the frontage and a grass covered telephone box. There are also ‘breadcrumbs’ of country house curiosities, acting as a way-finding trial to the pop-up, from bulldogs to cherubs, all in a signature colour in vivid blue.

The pop-up now in its third year was opened by British Designers Collective spokesperson Alexa Chung and features collections from the likes of Jonathan Saunders, Peter Pilotto, Holly Fulton, Bella Freud, Hermione de Paula, Preen, Osman, as well as footwear from Nicholas Kirkwood, and jewellery from Mawi and Erickson Beamon.

“I am proud to support Value Retail on their British Designers Collective pop up store at Bicester Village,” said Alexa Chung. “The initiative opens up a whole new market to the participating designers that they might not otherwise have access to at this stage in their career.”

The womenswear boutique is open to the public from today until May 9, and then the pop-up will be transformed into a menswear pop-up for the first time, which will launch on May 16.

Image: Danielle Wightman-Stone