Christmas shopping can be a daunting experience not suitable for the faint-hearted. Aware of how off-putting the idea of wrestling other shoppers for the last must-have item and queueing at tills can be, Bicester Village invites its customers to a very different experience.
In collaboration with Collagerie Art Shop – the online store and gallery founded by ex-Vogue directors Serena Hood and Lucinda Chambers – Bicester Village is showcasing a shoppable “pop-up” exhibition with 22 prints by female artists displayed at different locations, from the Marylebone train station kiosk to the station at Bicester Village and in the lounge of The Apartment, the private members club for VIP customers. Six additional prints of works by multi-disciplinary artist Kavel Rafferty are also available exclusively to Bicester Village customers HERE.
Twelve of the prints available to purchase in support of Do Good are displayed on the lounge of The Apartment at Bicester Village.
Kavel Rafferty is a very interesting artist. She works mainly in collage and assemblage art. By exploring the possibilities available when using discarded materials, such as old magazines and postcards, she reveals the beauty in these forgotten items and give them a new identity and with it, a new lease of life. Kavel is not only an artist, but also a positive agent for circularity.
The prints selected for this initiatives remind me of Kavel’s Queer Flower series, of which the artist says, “My work seeks to re-contextualise and reclaim flowers from the domestic doldrums – recognising how female artists were permitted historically to paint flowers and very little else.”
Spanish Iris, Chinese Peony, and Dahlia, three of the six limited edition prints by Kavel Rafferty.
As we are in the season to be merry and generous, part of the sales money from these prints will be donated to Do Good, a programme that supports a number of local charities. Bicester Village is specifically involved with SmartWorks, World Connect, IntoUniversity and Brides Do Good. You can find more information HERE.
Apart from this initiative, there are plenty of activities available at Bicester Village to make your shopping day a really fun one. From 3pm every day, guests can enjoy live music and a little show of falling snow, which you can immortalise with a Polaroid on Santa’s sleigh or, if you have been very very well behaved this year, you can post your letter to Santa in a specially crafted letterbox and hope he comes shopping here. Don’t forget to personalise your wrapping paper at the gift wrap station (I did and kicked myself afterwards).
Cecconi’s Bicester Village offers guests an authentic Italian dining experience while their credit card cools down a bit.
At some point your credit card will be smoking and your tummy rumbling. That would be the ideal time to go for lunch at Cecconi’s, the Mayfair classic that in less than a year from opening at Bicester Village, has become a favourite with shoppers and locals alike. The menu is inspired by classic Italian cuisine, with a few contemporary twists that keep it fresh and seasonal all year round.
It is really hard to think of an easier and nicer way to do one’s Christmas shopping, spoiling your beloved with luxury brands while still feeling you got a good deal. To make it even better, until 24th December, Bicester Village offers the “Extraordinary Sale”, with further reductions in many of its stores. Find out more HERE.
Author: Julia Pasarón
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