Retail Birmingham launches Style Birmingham Live AW13

The region’s award winning fashion and shopping event, Style Birmingham LIVE AW13, is back on Saturday 28 September with brand new hosts, Birmingham born model and presenter Emma Willis and reality TV star Rylan Clark.

Emma Willis – Harvey Nichols

Tickets are now on sale for the unmissable day of fashion, beauty and shopping, which this year is centred around a stunning catwalk show at Town Hall. The city centre venue will be transformed into a ‘fashion industry’ style setting, with a show featuring the latest autumn/winter styles and collections from across the city’s top stores and centres including Bullring, Selfridges, The Mailbox, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser and M&S.

Now in its sixth year, Style Birmingham Live was designed by Retail Birmingham BID (Business Improvement District) to promote and raise the profile of the city centre’s world-class retail offering and encourage footfall into the city. With involvement from over 100 retailers, last year’s show was a sell-out success, attracting 250,000 visitors to the city centre over the weekend with major retailers reporting an average uplift of 60% in sales as a direct result of the show. The show was also awarded a coveted British Council of Shopping Centres Purple Apple Marketing Award last month, reinforcing its success in attracting shoppers to the city centre.

This year’s event promises to build on this success with a full line-up of activities and offers from around the city centre for visitors to enjoy, including ‘Style on the Side’ – a fashion themed audience Q&A with hosts Emma & Rylan following each catwalk show, plus The Show: Ten at Bullring, which will celebrate ten years of fashion and style at the heart of the city with a stunning AW13 catwalk show, as well as style events at House of Fraser, The Mailbox and many other city centre stores.

Catwalk tickets are £15, which includes a seat at the catwalk show, access to amazing store offers and events, plus at goody bag courtesy of The Mailbox & Harvey Nichols. VIP tickets can be purchased for £25 and include a premium seat at the catwalk show, a pre-show glass of bubbly at the Virgin Trains ‘First Class Lounge’ within Town Hall where ticketholders can enjoy a DJ and stylish treats including chocolates and beauty demonstrations, plus a goody bag courtesy of The Mailbox & Harvey Nichols. Shows take place at 10:30am, 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 3:00pm and 4:30pm on Saturday 28 September and tickets can be purchased from ShoppingInBirmingham.com.

This year’s Style Birmingham Live AW13 host, Emma Willis, said: “I can’t wait to get back to Birmingham to host the show this year. The plans for the catwalk show at Town Hall are incredible and with so many stores and brands already lined up to take part, the show is set to be the best Style Birmingham Live yet. I love to go shopping in Birmingham when I’m back in the Midlands, so after a day of non-stop fashion and beauty, I’m looking forward to hitting the shops.”

Commenting on the continued success of Style Birmingham Live, Jonathan Cheetham, Chair of Retail Birmingham, said: “Style Birmingham Live is Retail Birmingham’s flagship event and has become a firm favourite in the region’s diary since its inception six years ago. We’re very much looking forward to the return of the show in September this year, with a change of venue and exciting new hosts. With over 1,000 stores in the city centre, 100 of which are independent, the show gives us the perfect platform to showcase our retailers and to combine our efforts to encourage shoppers into Birmingham to experience for themselves both the show and the wider fantastic retail offer we are so proud of.”