Trentham Welcomes the Queen of Cushions
27 October 2011
Trentham Estate’s Shopping Village has been selected by leading British designer Jan Constantine as the venue for her first-ever own-brand showroom.
Set to open its doors to the public over the weekend of Saturday October 29th.
Jan Constantine’s shop is being opened specially for the run-up to Christmas, with a view to it then becoming a permanent fixture at Trentham.
Jan Constantine’s cushions, fabrics and stationery are currently only available on-line, and in a range of the country’s top department stores including Fortnum & Mason and John Lewis. So the opening of her showroom in Trentham Shopping Village is viewed as a major coup for Trentham Estate, which offers its visitors an eclectic mix of shopping and dining, and garden and leisure attractions.
Boasting the UK’s only Monkey Forest, and Trentham Gardens, which are now the fifth most-visited in the country, Trentham Estate’s range of 50 outlets in its Shopping Village includes both famous names and small independent stores. It leaves the likes of L’Occitane, Vom Fass, Rohan and Whittard of Chelsea rubbing shoulders alongside Hannah Stoney’s chic Yellowstone Art Boutique, and the West Midlands Deli of the Year, Brown and Green.
According to Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, Jan Constantine (dubbed “The Queen of Cushions") has “turned felt and blanket stitch into the new rock-and-roll”.
Happy enough to laugh-off such accolades, one thing Jan is nevertheless extremely proud of is the way in which, almost seven years ago, she started the process of “reclaiming” the Union flag - and being one of the first to turn it into the high-fashion design icon that it is today.
Embellished with Jan’s trademark heart, the word “love” and her distinctive initials - all of which are intrinsic to all of her designs - her collections have become recognised the world over, and have also helped her to win an official licence to produce London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic merchandise - not to mention the official Team GB cushion collection.
Fittingly, when talking of Olympics, the rise and rise of Jan Constantine has been a marathon effort - and can be traced-back, over almost ten years, and to the days when she would sit around her kitchen table with her friends, sewing lavender hearts. Drawing on her design background in fashion, interiors and styling (as well a phenomenal drive and determination), Jan has fulfilled her lifetime’s ambition, to produce her own, highly sought after collections.
The inspiration for individual designs in the Constantine Collection comes from a desire to create something that will not only bring joy to her customers, but will also be handed down (as she says) “just as the embroidery skills of my artisans have been handed down through many generations”.
Living and working in a small village just a few miles from Trentham, the Constantine name is one that the attraction is now extremely proud to be associated with.
The venture has been warmly welcomed by St Modwen’s Regional Director, Mike Herbert, who has overall responsibility for Trentham: “We know we have a fantastic range of shops on offer to the three million people who now pass through our gates every year, but the arrival of Jan Constantine lifts us to another level. And it’s perfect timing, too. With Christmas just around the corner, I’m sure this will give visitors from far and wide yet another reason for visiting our Shopping Village.”
OFFICIAL OPENING - 12 NOON 28th OCTOBER - PRESS WELCOME
For further information about Jan Constantine, visit www.janconstantine.com
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