Birmingham retailers promote city as a stylish destination

16/01/08

England’s second city has launched a new campaign to position itself as a style capital.

Birmingham, where style icons such as Cat Deeley, Erin O’Connor, Jamelia and Emma Griffiths were discovered, is using the image of mannequins to promote the shopping and fashion credentials of the city through its Style Birmingham campaign, suggesting that all the style hungry mannequins want to go to Birmingham to get dressed.

Style Birmingham will become the voice of shopping and fashion in Birmingham, representing 1,000 shops in the city centre to raise awareness of the range and quality of shops offering everything from clothes and jewellery to gifts, stationery and homeware.

The campaign kicked off with groups of mannequins appearing around the city centre to grab people’s attention and the launch of www.stylebirmingham.com, a website dedicated to shopping in Birmingham and featuring store listings, trends, hints and tips, and celebrity profiles.

Later in the year the Birmingham Style Awards will celebrate all things stylish and in April a four day Style in the City extravaganza will showcase the best of what the city has to offer to shoppers and fashionistas.

When you think of Birmingham you’ll probably think of Bullring, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and all of these big names are major players in the campaign, but according to Style Birmingham the city has so much more to offer.

Nigel Godfrey is overseeing the campaign on behalf of the retailers. He explained: “Birmingham is a great place for shopping and as the saying goes, if you’ve got, it flaunt it! Style Birmingham is about celebrating what fantastic shopping facilities we’ve got and encouraging more people to travel from further a field to experience it.

“Birmingham has 1,000 shops in one destination. It has 100 independent retailers in the city centre alone, and that’s what this campaign is about. It’s no longer about one shop, one street or one shopping centre competing against another, it’s about presenting the city centre as one shopping destination, positioning the quirky Victorian shopping arcades shoulder to shoulder with the retail giants and modern shopping malls.

“Whether you want designer labels, high street chic, unique one-offs or bargain brands, Birmingham has got it all.”

Here’s just a snapshot of some of the independent stores in Birmingham:

autograph.a.too, 17 Ethel StreetAfter 20 years of supplying Birmingham with high fashion Autograph and its sister store A Too still find itself as the pioneer. With numerous industry awards including FHM’s Designer Retailer of the Year, nothing has changed, personal service is paramount. Exclusisvity on brands include Dries Van Noten, Neil Barrett, Kris Van Assche, Martin Margiela ‚Äì these are just a few!

Breina, Unit 23-24 Great Western ArcadeSuperb ladies couture fashion for all ages, for day and evening wear, occasion wear a speciality.

Chouchoute Chocolaterie, Unit 40, Great Western Arcade Offers an exclusive range of handmade French chocolates and fine dessert wines for the discerning palate. Chouchoute has earned a reputation for its refined style and the vision of owner Pierre Soualah. Pure, indulgent pleasure, Chouchoute’s stunning chocolate selections are arranged in beautiful gift boxes, available for next day delivery within the UK.

Disorder, Unit 1, Needless AlleyDaring to go against brand culture, Disorder boutique stocks all things independent, handcrafted & limited. Defined as ’supercool’ by 69 Magazine and endorsed as 1 of 5 reasons to visit Birmingham by The Guardian, describing its menswear and womenswear ranges as ‘quirky’ designerwear. Disorder is unique to the city in that its label is designed and manufactured in Birmingham using mainly British fabrics only. Mark Howard, the artist is currently being commissioned by the iconic club The Que Club to showcase his art on its massive walls when it reopened in September. More fantastic labels never seen in the UK before from LA, NYC, and Europe, to join Disorder exclusively in the next coming months. The best is yet to come! Disorder is on Needless Alley, off New Street Tel: 0121 643 21 31. www.disorderboutique.com

Emma Somerset, 47/49 Wharfside Street, The MailboxStocks fashions by leading designers with outfits to suit every taste and occasion.

KU, Unit 9, Great Western ArcadeHigh fashion boutique for style conscious females. Ku is the only stockist of Elise Ryan clothing in Birmingham, as well as showcasing popular brands such as Firetrap and Full Circle.

Para-Ti (Definition: For You in Portuguese), 18/19 Burlington Arcade, 127 New StreetGrew out of the two proprietors Rick Hassell and Shabir Khan’s quest to open a store that would appeal to a diverse fashion conscious clientele, stocking stylish, individual, yet affordable clothes for men and women in a relaxed environment situated just of New Street.

Housed in a spacious, cool and contemporary store, cleans lines, raw steel fixtures and bespoke furniture coupled with music supplied from top DJ’s at the coolest bars and clubs, the scene is set for a great shopping experience.

Forward focussed and trend spotting Para-TI stocks one of the most exciting collections of exclusive underground labels (national and international) in the city.

For further details please go to www.stylebirmingham.co.uk