The British Designer’s Collective, is a partnership with the British Fashion Council that showcases established and emerging designers including Mary Katrantzou, Sophia Webster, Peter Pilotto, and Roksanda. The boutique launched on 20 May 2015 and will run for six weeks. Designed by interior designer Clare Ceprynski, the British Designers Collective brings an essence of the British countryside to the Village and sees oversized tree roots merge with molten gold leaf, taking guests on an abstract visual journey while discovering their future collectibles.

The store interior has the feeling of a contemporary art gallery. The convention of the white gallery space, with its bleached floor and white light, is the perfect scene-setter for a surrealist intervention – an Alice in Wonderland eye or a Tim Walker set. At first glance, the measured, crisp, white panelled walls order and regulate the space. They are a perfect foil for the organic art piece at the centre of the store and, a considered backdrop for the fashion. Look closely however, and the panels are not as regular as they first seem. A fun surrealism is at play in the space – pulling some of the panels apart, breaking them up and stretching the walls inwards towards the central installation. Shadow gaps and lighting underline the changes of perspective and scale, pulling the visitor around the interesting space.

At the heart of the store, a white plinth morphs into a tree that disappears up into the ceiling cavity. The organic strength of the sculpture encourages a mood of wonder, discovery and fantasy with scale and surprise as the vehicle. The tree is highlighted in decorative gold – it is as precious an element as the patterned product that surrounds it. The exterior boldly suggests that this boutique is out of the ordinary and invites the guest to discover something different to what is already on offer at Bicester Village. The level of execution shows that a pop up must be designed to the same level of artistry as the clothes it’s presenting.

Name of designer or designer office: Clare Ceprynski
Photography: David Long

About Bicester Village
Bicester Village, one of the Collection of Villages by Value Retail, is located just 60 minutes from both London and Birmingham, and offers the UK’s leading luxury outlet shopping experience. With more than 130 outlet boutiques providing fashion and luxuries for the home, Bicester Village offers a unique selection of British and international brands with savings of up to 60% on the recommended retail price, seven days a week and all year round. Bally, Diane von Furstenberg, Missoni, and Tory Burch are just a few of the international brands present, as well as boutiques of British designers including Anya Hindmarch, Temperley London, Smythson and Vivienne Westwood. A suite of services includes the Shopping Express®, the daily coach service from London; an award-winning Tourist Information Centre; a children’s play area, valet parking, Hands-free Shopping, and a Personal Stylist. With a selection of restaurants and cafés, the Village has become a destination for visitors seeking a superior shopping experience and an enjoyable day out.