After coming ‘face-to-face with mortality’ while filming, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen showed off his survival skills at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the 75th edition of Spring Fair, the UK’s largest and longest running retail exhibition, at the NEC Birmingham.
Hundreds of buyers gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and entered the show as he opened it, eager to start shopping for their store’s next bestsellers. Laurence said, “Spring Fair is 75 years old which means its only 2 years younger than me, it is such an important moment in our retail calendars. This is where the world will change for retailers and brands over the next two decades. So I’m delighted to be cutting this ribbon!”
Spring Fair’s Portfolio Director, Jackson Szabo added,
“I’m delighted to welcome you all here to a monumental show, Spring Fair is the longest standing show in the UK. This year we are welcoming 150 more exhibitors than last year, which also makes us the fastest growing retail show in the UK.”
A million miles from the beaches of Costa Rica, Laurence flaunted and jaunted down the aisles looking for interior inspiration having survived his near-death experience on Netflix’s new survival show Celebrity Bear Hunt which airs on 5th February.
Back at Spring Fair, as well as designing the show’s new Licensing Lab which highlights the importance and growth that licensed brands play in the retail industry, Laurence took to the stage with his trademark wit and style to present Unleashing Creativity: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on Licensing, Art, and Designing for Retail Success. He shared his remarkable journey from celebrated designer to global brand, offering insights into the art of merging creativity with commerce and revealing how he built a career turning bold artistic ideas into household names.
Championing the British high street, stating how important it is for individuality and choice, he said,
“I’ve been coming to Spring Fair for years, there’s a huge amount of energy here”
said Llewelyn-Bowen,
“I feel very strongly that we’re on a pivot point where independent retail has the opportunity to do something really different and powerfully positive; and it’s to do with the relationship between retail, manufacture and design. In this country the leverage, the real power, the real difference happens through independent retail. It happens through the fact that you make your own decisions, because you know who you’re selling to, because you don’t patronise your customers. This is the point of Indies, we provide choice.
Be brave in your design choices; we have the landscape, retailscape to ourselves. The big conglomerates will never be able to get that sense of personality across to their customers as indies can. This is where the intersection between design and retail come together; pattern. It’s all about pattern. Because pattern is the ultimate storyteller, it’ll take your mind wherever you need it to go, making the connection between retailer and customer stronger - in the independent retail sector, pattern is something that can make an instant impression of getting people to understand who you are and what you’re doing.”
Spring Fair, the UK's leading retail trade show for Home, Gift and Fashion, will welcome some more of the biggest names in retail including Jeff Banks, Theo Paphitis and Andrew Xeni, at the 75th anniversary show taking place from 2nd – 5th February 2025 at the NEC Birmingham.
Spring Fair 2025 promises to be one to remember with over 1,200 exhibitors across 12 unmissable buying destinations dedicated to Home, Gift, Fashion, and Everyday categories. Buyers will discover more than 1 million inspirational and innovative products, over 400 new brands and many exclusive only to Spring Fair, and more than 100 international brands.
To register to visit at https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration.
For more information about Spring Fair and the 75th-anniversary celebrations, visit www.springfair.com.