After a successful launch in March, and following on from London Fashion Week, The Centre:MK will be hosting its second Style Fest.
A patron of the British Fashion Council, the centre will be holding a full weekend of catwalk shows, beauty demonstrations, body positive talks and yoga classes, all themed around the beauty of power, on Saturday 29th September and Sunday 30th September.
As new research shows that shoppers are looking for a more immersive experience offline to compete with the ease of online shopping, The Centre:MK is hosting Style Fest as one of many events in its iconic space, Middleton Hall, throughout the year.
Hosted by TV presenter, AJ Odudu (BBOTS, 4Music), Style Fest will host a packed programme over the two day event including live catwalk shows on the hour, demonstrations from beauty giants, MAC and Charlotte Tilbury, as well as a panel talk from British Fashion Council, a colour analysis session from House Of Colour, a mindfulness class from James Milford and a series of taster yoga sessions from Hot Pod Yoga.
The weekend will also see a talk from body positive blogger, Lottie L’Amour, about body confidence whether you’re a size 6 or 26.
According to research, a third of women in the UK said their body confidence is between 1 and 4 out of 10, with 65% citing increased pressures from advertising as a main reason and 49% blaming the rise of social media and airbrushing apps.
Style Fest host, AJ Odudu, said, “Centre:MK isn’t just a shopping centre, it’s a lifestyle destination. It has a huge range of credible fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands, as well as food, drink and entertainment – all under one roof.
I love coming to this centre as it really has its finger on the pulse when it comes to emerging trends and finding new ways to keep people engaged – but it’s also helping to empower women with events like this. I can’t wait to jump up on that stage and start spreading some positive vibes.”
A spokesperson from the British Fashion Council, added: “As an advocate of empowerment within the fashion industry, the British Fashion Council is very pleased to be involved with Style Fest. Style Fest is a great event to bring everyone together in a fun, but educational way.”
Alongside the various talks and demonstrations, there will also be hourly catwalk shows throughout the weekend, showcasing the very best AW18 trends, with participating retailers including John Lewis & Partners, River Island, Warehouse, M&S, Next and The White Company; there will also be discounts and promotions for visitors to redeem on both days of the festival.
As well as the brands taking part in this season’s Style Fest, The Centre:MK’s stores are also home to the likes of Ted Baker, All Saints, Mint Velvet, Jigsaw, Hobbs and an array of beauty brands within its department stores including Urban Decay, Jo Malone, Clarins, Clinique, Shiseido, Chanel and Dior.
Head of Marketing at The Centre:MK, Kim Priest, summarised: “We’re very excited to be hosting our second Style Fest. The launch of this bi-annual event was a huge success, and this time, we’re focussing on the beauty of power and body confidence.”
“This is such an important message for people of all walks of life and we’re thrilled to be able to do our bit in instilling positivity and wellbeing in today’s society.”
