Now that it's officially December, there are a lot of interesting places to visit on the lead up to Christmas. Over the weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go experience the Nottingham Market. I heard about this through University and decided to go have a look. The market was held over three days on the 4th, 5th and the 6th of December in the well known Lace Market. The main idea behind it was to bring, up and coming designers and brands under one roof to display their products "in a carefully curated and beautifully presented setting". The area is particularly known for its unique fashion outlets. This was the first time I have been to the Lace Market and the 'Nottingham Market' was definitely the best way to step into Nottingham's fashion finest.
The first brand I noticed as soon as I walked in was 'Tori Murphy'. This was a brand I had never heard off before but I was instantly attracted to it because of their branding. The font they have used to identify their brand looks quite high end; this interested me as I thought this market was targeted at mass market but boy was I wrong! Though the prices of everything being sold made my heart skip a beat, I really appreciated the designs on all of the products displayed. It is mainly a homeware brand with products ranging from cushions, throws, lampshades etc. All the designs are inspired by beautiful fabrics Tori was surrounded by in Milan while she worked there. All the products are 100% designed, produced and manufactured in England as Tori is a firm believer in English textile production.
The next brand that grabbed my attention was Universal Works. This was another brand that I had never heard of before but the reason I walked over to their section was because of their really big screen printer that reminded me of my school days in textiles classes. They were printing letters on grey T-shirts and on the spot and selling them. I found this so fascinating, that I stood in front of the man printing them for about 20 minutes with my mouth wide open. A bit weird, I know but (for a lack of a better word) it was just so cool!
Last but definitely not the least was the designer and brand Campbell Cole, who was the host of the market. The display of all their products was undeniably visually pleasing. Each category of product had a specific place. This brand's main focus for product is leather. What I noticed from the things that was being sold, they made things that would make it easier and enhance ones life. Products such as, the key chain pouch, the mans wash bad etc. I noticed that though these products designs were impeccable, they most definitely were not 'on trend', which lead me to research more about their brand and I found the perfect quote on their website that helps summarise their products perfectly. "We steer away from trend and develop in a reasonless manner, focused on the core values of quality and consideration to ensure each piece is a perfect balance of essential detain and effortless functionality"
I really loved being part of the Nottingham Market and I'm glad I could make it as I have now been introduced to such lovely brands and to be completely frank, being part of that atmosphere just made me feel so classy and sophisticated.
To know more about the brands I mentioned or about the market, check out the attached links
