Three hats come to life in front a packed audience at Cowley Manor

Cheltenham Fashion Week offered local fashionistas the chance to see three bespoke headwear pieces come to life. Three milliners worked their creative magic, producing unique hats using top secret materials provided by Cheltenham Fashion Week just days before. The resulting designs were then showcased at Cowley Manor alongside the milliners' latest collections.


Showing their headwear design talents were, Catherine Povey, Ani Townsend and Holly Young. Each milliner has a rich history in the hat design world, with Ani Townsend having created pieces for Madonna and the Harry Potter films, Holly Young spent months with renowned couture milliner, Philip Treacy, and Catherine Povey holding an impressive portfolio of commissions.
 

Cowley Manor provided the perfect venue, as a packed audience filled the Bar & Sitting room to watch the hats take shape. The three milliners set to work before the guests moved through to the dining room to enjoy a meal and catwalk show displaying a collection of headwear peices.
 

Modelling in the catwalk show was Heart FM’s model competition winner, Rebecca John. Having beaten dozens of other model hopefuls, Rebecca was chosen by Heart FM and walked alongside Cheltenham Fashion Week models, wearing a sleek, contemporary LK Bennett dress and sky high heels. The national clothing chain is a favourite of the uber fashionable Duchess of Cambridge and the Promenade store in Cheltenham kindly agreed to loan the dress and shoes from the latest collection.


Sam Bawden, Cheltenham Fashion Week founder and creative director, said “I am so pleased with the way the evening turned out, the atmosphere was electric and the event was a huge success thanks to a packed audience, fabulous hospitality from Cowley Manor and sensational hat creations from our talented milliners."

For more information on Cheltenham Fashion Week visit www.cheltenhamfashionweek.com 

For more information on each of the milliners visit their websites at:
 

www.catherinepovey.co.uk


www.anitownsend.com


www.hollyyoungboutique.com
 

Photography by David Riera of Whistle & Taylor. 

The CFW Student Shows Are A Hit!

Forget London Fashion Week, last night it was the Cheltenham Fashion Week FROW at the Student Education Show that everyone wanted!

Glos Col was transformed into the best fashion venue in The Cotswolds for the evening as a full house sat and anticipated the fabulous fashion designs to come from the sixth form, graduate and independent categories. The show was a fantastic follow-on from the hugely successful afternoon show in which primary and secondary schools showed off their wonderful talents.

The models were greeted by a roaring crowd and the panel of judges, including fashion designer George Davis, fashion journalist Sarah-Hayley Owen and hair stylist Stuart Holmes.

All in all the event was an amazing success and showed what amazing talent exists in the county. Thank you to all students who contributed their designs, and thank you to all who attended!

Alex

xx

Congratulations to Rebecca John, our Heart FM Model Winner!

Over the last fortnight Cheltenham Fashion Week and Heart FM scoured the county in search of a listener to model in our Who wants to be a Milliner event. 

The evening of Wednesday 19th September will see three top milliners compete in a "Ready, Steady, Cook" style as guests enjoy an evening of champagne and a sumptuous supper at luxury boutique Cotswold hotel, Cowley Manor. Yesterday, each milliner was delivered a bag of top secret materials to plan their creations in time for next Wednesday. Their mission is to create a fabulous hat for Spring/Summer to be auctioned off in aid of our chosen charity, Hop, Skip and Jump. 

After floods of entries, Heart FM producer, Anna and Cheltenham Fashion Week founder, Sam handpicked their favorite winner. With tough competition, the pair selected young mum, Rebecca John.  Announcing the news live on air, i met with a very nervous Rebecca for a fitting at LK Bennett. The Cheltenham branch have very kindly agreed to loan Rebecca one of their stunning dresses and a pair of high flying heels to wear on her catwalk debut at Cowley Manor.  

The brief was black, and with endorsements from the Duchess of Cambridge and the little black dress a signature style for LK Bennett we knew we in the right place. The wonderfully helpful staff of The Promenade store, Corrina & Cheryl, gave Rebecca a personal shopping experience to help her select from the latest Autumn/Winter collection currently available in store.  

After trying on the best black of the collection, Rebecca finally decided on the simple yet stunning Lara lace and silk dress. Priced at £245 the showstopping dress flatters Rebecca's figure perfectly, accentuating her curves and enhancing her silhouette with cinched detail around the waist and square neckline.

From the wide choice of shoes on the shelves, Rebecca was undecided on which pair to choose, but after much deliberation she finally settled on the Harper heel. With a brushed suede finish and priced at £195 the pair go perfectly with any outfit, a true staple piece for any wardrobe!

Dressed to the nines and ready for her catwalk debut, an excited Rebecca truly can't wait for Wednesday, and neither can we! Rebecca will be pampered to perfection with professional hair and makeup on the day, courtesy of The Stuart Holmes Hair and Beauty Spa. To find out how Rebecca gets on listen out to Heart FM next week for more updates. 

And if all this shopping has got that credit card twitching, Cheltenham Fashion Week Award Winner, Keith Scarrott will be offering their customers an extra 10% discount for Cheltenham Fashion Week only (17-21 September). If you're an online shopper simply quote the code, CFW2012. So what more persuasion does a girl need to buy shoes!

Ellie xx

The Countdown To Cheltenham Fashion Week Begins!

“I spy… a giant pink shoe?!”... there have been some rather strange games of eye-spy recently in Cheltenham, however spotting a giant pink stiletto in the regency town wouldn’t be a mistake!

The Cheltenham Fashion Week Giant Shoe Tour has been in full swing over the past few months with The Cheltenham Fashion Week giant fuchsia pink stiletto popping up all over town. It began its tour of the Cotswolds when it took residence at Art Couture Painswick in July 2012. From there it hopped around locations across the Cotswolds including Sanford Park Lido, Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucester Rugby Club and has even been photographed with the team at Stuart Holmes Hair and Beauty Spa.

 

This is certainly not all of the places the shoe has been spotted, and we often get people giving the lorry a double take as it drives around the Cotswolds with a giant pink shoe strapped to the back!

And in its latest location the Cheltenham Fashion Week shoe is sure not to be missed...

On Saturday morning the shoe will move from its current home in the Regent Arcade to the Cheltenham Promenade where it will greet Saturday shoppers. Sam Bawden, founder and creative director of Cheltenham Fashion Week will be with our giant pink installation, exciting and engaging passers-by with what Cheltenham Fashion Week has to offer. Including our fantastic 'Who Wants to be a Milliner?' event, which is set to be a truly unique show. The three professional milliner's set to take part are Catherine Povey, Ani Townsend and Holly Young, who each hold their own style and character within their creations.
After much anticipation from the three hat creators, Sam has finally delivered the materials so the designers can begin to dream up the headwear designs they will create in front of the audience on Wednesday 19th September.

So if you fancy spotting our Giant Pink Shoe in its latest location or just fancy a chat with Sam about all things Cheltenham Fashion week, pop down to the promenade on Saturday (15th September)! We will be situated right outside Cavendish House.

For more info on Cheltenham Fashion Week visit www.cheltenhamfashionweek.com


Esther x

Cheltenham Fashion Week Approaches!

With Cheltenham Fashion Week less than one week away, the Silver Ball PR and CFW teams are as busy as ever preparing for the fashion event that has taken The Cotswolds by storm!

With the Cheltenham Fashion Week Retailer Awards 2012 that took place last week, everyone who attended was treated with a taste of what is to expect next week! And with several signs stating "SOLD on Cheltenham Fashion Week" appearing in various locations in and around Cheltenham, it seems that just about everyone is sold on what is to be a week of fabulous fashion!

Are you sold on fashion?

In addition to everyone's eyes being graced with reminders of the quickly approaching Fashion Week, ears across the county will also be targeted by BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Matt Cummings, who last week visited George Davis in his quiet Draycott studios to discuss the fashion designer's involvement with Cheltenham Fashion Week. Be sure to tune into BBC Radio Gloucestershire throughout Fashion Week to hear George speak about his part in the Student Education Shows, in addition to his amazing background in fashion.

For more information about George Davis and the Student Education Shows, click here.

Tickets are selling fast for the list of great events, such as our eBay Workshops, 'Boutique 24', Who Wants to be a Milliner? and many more! Have you got yours yet?

So it seems that Cheltenham Fashion Week is being mentioned almost everywhere, even The Observer want to make people aware of the event, naming it one of their Top 3 Best Events for Fashion Lovers!

Alex

xx

The glitterati of Cheltenham retail gather for The 2012 Cheltenham Fashion Week Awards...

On Tuesday evening the crème de la crème of Cheltenham retail gathered at stunning venue, The Daffodil for The Cheltenham Fashion Week Retailer Awards drinks reception. The converted Art Deco cinema played host to a guest list bursting with retail glitterati from Cheltenham’s hottest shopping destinations. 

In association with Cotswold Style, The Cheltenham Fashion Week Awards aims to showcase, recognise and reward the broad spectrum of places to pamper, party and play within Cheltenham. Over the past fortnight members of the public voted for their favourites in four categories and last night saw the winners announced.  With encouragement from retailers and instore voting postcards, shoppers have been making their voices heard and voting for their favourites in menswear, womenswear, independent retail and destination hangout.

On arrival nominees were greeted by the Cheltenham Fashion Week Giant Shoe. The sky-high 10ft by12ft enormous pink stiletto has been touring The Cotswolds in the lead up to Cheltenham Fashion Week. Along its journey the shoe has rubbed shoulders (or heels) with local celebrities such as Lisa Maxwell, George Davies & Dr Dawn Harper, alongside gracing the pages of OK Magazine.

Guests enjoyed cocktails, canapés and cupcakes in the dramatic and unique setting of the former 1920’s cinema mezzanine Circle Bar at The Daffodil. An audience of representatives from all areas of retail from The Kooples, Cath Kidston and Olive, to The Montpellier Chapter, Cotswold Style and The Swallow Bakery gathered for the concluding event of The Cheltenham Fashion Week Awards.

Cheltenham Fashion Week Founder and Creative Director, Sam Bawden and Paul Bates of Cotswold Style announced winning retailers and congratulated them on their success. Winners were awarded tickets to luxury designer shopping event, Boutique 24 alongside a Cheltenham Fashion Week Award to display in their establishment. 

Winning Menswear Retailer of the Year – Trapeze

David Fairthorne of Trapeze said, “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for Menswear Retailer of the Year. We are keen to support local fashion events wherever we can, so the Cheltenham Fashion Week Awards are the perfect way to do exactly that. We never thought we would win, as there are so many other great places for men to shop in Cheltenham. But it’s brilliant to be recognised by our customers and fantastic to know they love what we do.”

Winning Womenswear Retailer of the Year – La de da

“Thank you to all our customers who voted. We are really honoured and so privileged to be part of Cheltenham Fashion Week; from the buzz around Cheltenham it’s set to be a great event.”

Winning Independent Retailer of the Year – Keith Scarrott

Jade Dutson & Vicky Johnson of Keith Scarrott said, “We are so shocked and completely delighted to receive this Cheltenham Fashion Week Award for Favourite Independent Retailer of the Year. We would like to thank our customers for their continued support, having been part of Cheltenham’s high street for over 37 years; it’s wonderful to have such recognition. It’s a pleasure to be involved with Cheltenham Fashion Week and we cannot wait to be at Boutique 24.”

Winning Favourite Fashionable Destination of the Year – Bistrot Coco

Head Chef & Front of House Manager, Tim & Aleksandra Hayward said, “This award is completely unexpected, and firstly we must thank our customers for their continued support. Its so great to know that they love the rustic French dining experience of Bistrot Coco. We are so grateful for this award and cannot wait to see the exciting events that will take place in Cheltenham Fashion Week.” 

Runners-Up:

Menswear Retailer of the Year: The Kooples

Womenswear Retailer of the Year: Olive

Independent Retailer of the Year: Monty Smith

Favourite Fashionable Destination of the Year: The Montpellier Chapter 

Ellie xx

The September Show Season!

Every fashion lover looks forward to it... and even non-fashion lovers cannot escape the hype... it’s the September show season!

September sees the four fashion capitals of the world host consecutive fashion week’s with New York first, followed by London, Milan and finally Paris. We are only a week away from New York’s display of their S/S 13 collections with shows taking place all over the city including New York public library – yes, it really is like Sex & the City!

 

Amid NY Fashion Week, September 6 will see the eagerly anticipated Fashion’s Night Out. Events will take place around the world, with shops throwing ‘parties’ and talks being given by the industries finest. Covent Garden will play host to a pop-up Chanel store, complete with a monochrome vending machine packed with Chanel goodies. Amazing! September 6 will set the tone for London Fashion Week (14-18 Sept) which is sure to dazzle, as it always does, displaying ensembles we are sure to  be craving next summer.

So with a month absolutely brimming with fashion, plane hopping and racing from show to show in killer heels, even the most hard-core fashionista  is sure to need some down time – say a weekend in the Cotswolds? And with Cheltenham Fashion Week running from 17 – 21 September, a weekend in the country wouldn’t mean missing out on top designer fashion.

With Harvey Nichols, Jo Malone and The Stuart Holmes Hair & Beauty Spa – to name a few for you to drool over - all showing at ‘Boutique 24’ in the glorious Cotswold Cowley Manor Hotel, visitors could get their daily fashion fix whilst escaping the hectic remains of London Fashion Week.  And with Cheltenham Fashion Week offering talks from retail giant George Davies, and industry professional Caryn Franklin it seems the Cotswolds really is the place to find industry professionals post London Fashion Week.  

For more information, folow Cheltenham Fashion Week on twitter @cheltfashionwk or visit the website www.cheltenhamfashionweek.co.uk where you can also buy tickets!

 

Esther x