Winners of the Dressed for Success awards for Brighton and Hove’s favourite festive shop windows were announced last night (Jan 20).
Imi Loa on Western Road, Hove, was the overall winner of the competition, which was organised by Brighton and Hove City Council to promote the city’s independent shops in the run-up to Christmas.
Winners were also announced in six other categories in the competition.
The Category winners were:
Irresistible Image: Vintage Workshop (Kemp Town)
Most Visually Stunning: Eco Makers Emporium (London Road)
Best Silent Seller: Merlin & Ellis (St James’s St)
Most Theatrical: Vintage Workshop (Kemp Town)
Cleverest Concept: Imi Loa (Hove)
Overall Winner: Imi Loa (Hove)
Best Transformation: Pardon My French (Kemp Town)
Twenty-eight independent retailers across the city received expert advice on how to make the most of their festive window displays to boost their business.
Shoppers could follow a trail of participating shops around the city, pictures of the displays were put up on the council’s website, and more than 2,200 people voted for their favourites on the council’s Facebook page during December.
Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chair of the council’s Economic Development and Culture committee, said: “The standard of the displays was fantastic, with some really creative and imaginative designs, and we would like to thank everyone who took part and voted.
“Dressed for Success is a great way of showcasing the wonderful selection of independent and specialist shops we have in Brighton and Hove, which are one of the big draws for shoppers here. The council is committed to helping our local retailers thrive and it is one of a number of ways in which we support small businesses.”
Clare Morris-Coole runs winning shop Imi Loa with her business partner Damien Compain. The shop, which sells gifts, homewares and clothes, featured a 1960s motorbike as the centrepiece of the Christmas display.
Clare said: “We are delighted to win and quite surprised, as there were so many great windows in the competition.
“We try to be as creative as possible with our window displays to make people stop and react. The training gave us some fresh ideas and practical tips and taking part in the competition was an incentive to push ourselves further. It helped to boost our trade and attract new customers and we are already thinking about what we can do for next Christmas! The bike in the display proved a real talking point and was sold to a motorcycle collector.”
Ellie Kidson, from retail trainers Metamorphosis, who provided tuition to shops taking part, added: “We feel incredibly passionate about Dressed for Success, as each year we see different groups of retailers embrace their skills and talents in order to raise their level of window dressing expertise. This impacts not only on the retailers themselves, boosting their Christmas trade, but also on the experience of Brighton & Hove customers, as year on year we see the standards of window dressing getting higher and higher.
“A fabulous window combines many elements such as strong composition, commercial thinking, creativity, use of colour, storytelling, styling and attention to detail. It is fantastic to see all the retailers take these elements on board in order to capture the attention and imagination of their customers. This year’s winner Imi Loa is a brilliant example of this, with their impactful display conjuring a feeling of nostalgia and wonder through their fabulous use of props, dramatic lighting and exquisite styling.”
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