So, this year Style Birmingham Live came into town in what proved to be a much slicker operation than its predecessor Style in the City.

The usual offerings were available; the style master-classes and tutorials, department store offers & vouchers, plus copious amounts of free drinks. However, this year the proceedings had a more polished appearance. Take the catwalk show for example; its new home at the Town Hall gave it an added edge. The tasty male models and the lingerie scene proved the most popular with the crowd as usual but the production, particularly the music, lighting and added storyboard visuals made for a sharper show.

The catwalk show also allowed the ladies to indulge in a much needed ‘totty fest’ in the shape of the delectable George Lamb who presented the show and Warren Holmes, International creative Director for Nicky Clarke who was on hand to give advice and also painstakingly styled the models hair for every show.

The catwalk show played out over 12 scenes and showcased over thirty of the city’s retailers to a dramatic affect. Highlights included the military section and the grunge glam segment which ended with a delicious sparkly Project D dress.  The crowd seemed to be soaking up the glitz and glamour of the show, and the only complaint that was overheard was two old ladies commenting ‘George doesn’t seem to do a lot during the show’. George’s hosting segments may have been small but boy the ladies loved it, with one girl in the front row having to be physically aided by four friends after George called her a ‘pretty lady’ – as L’Oreal would say, ‘he’s worth it’.

The opening segment of the catwalk show also provided a unique opportunity to see acclaimed British designer Osman Yousefzada’s Autumn/Winter collection. The audience were treated to his collection from the ‘Fashion in Motion’ series for the V&A Museum earlier this year. With a veritable feast of lust worthy frocks, the collection was a feast of space age glamour, which all appeared to be extremely wearable – a rarity for such high-end couture.

Aside from the pivotal catwalk show the goodie bags weren’t the only thing that had improved. Harvey Nichols laid on a plethora of events from the MAC theatre offering the latest in make-up trends, a SKYY Vodka lounge and in-store fashion presentations. Meanwhile, ‘The Show’ at the Bullring showcased key trends for Autumn/Winter with lust worthy fashion in spectacular  circus themed show – it definitely inspired more money to be spent than was necessary.

Thanks Style Birmingham for an action packed day, but my credit card will definitely be going into hibernation now!

Words: Kimberley Owen

Images from ‘The Show’ at Bullring.