The Charm of Christmas

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Oct 23, 2012, 10:53 ET

LONDON, October 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

With the festive season fast approaching, the Chic Outlet Shopping^® Villages are fizzing with creativity. 'The Charm of Christmas' campaign launches on 1 November and promises to be a Christmas Art Deco spectacular, harnessing all the eclectic elegance that wrapped itself around our sensibilities during one of design's most fertile and daring periods.

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Art Deco roared into life during the twenties with all that was modern, elegant and free. And it started in Europe - then and now a breeding ground for design talent. Which is why the Chic Outlet Shopping^® Villages have partnered with Europe's leading design schools - London's Royal College of Art, Paris's famous ESMOD, the European Institute di Design in Milan and Madrid, Ireland's National College of Art and Design, and Munich's U5 Academy - in a seasonal celebration of some of Europe's most creative talent with a competition for students to design the artistic theme of the Villages' festive campaign this year - one that interprets the gleaming confidence of Art Deco for the twenty-first century.

The judges are internationally recognised design luminaries - Marcio Alves Roiter from Brazil; Eva Jean Bart-Lorenzotti from the USA; Vadim Yasnogorodsky, Russia; Nicole Schoeni and Steve Leung, Hong Kong; Colin McDowell, UK; Umberta Gnutti Beretta, Italy; Gert Voorjans, Belgium; Michael Von Hassel, Germany; Montse Cuesta, Spain; and Mathilde de L'Ecotais, France. Together they will select the winner of the €9,000 prize. The winner will be announced on 1 December on ChicOutletShopping.com.

From 15 November visitors to the Collection of Villages will discover a selection of designs from across the participating schools brought to life in an opulent display of oversized illuminated Christmas present sculptures, lending the stylish open-air boulevards of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping^® Villages a touch of Garbo-esque gloriousness. They will provide the perfect backdrop against which one can discover sparkling treats from world-leading luxury fashion and homewares brands, as well as quirky pop-up boutiques including the Soho House Group's spa brand Cowshed at Bicester Village. Also new for the festive season is 'A New Home for Convivio' at Fidenza Village, a boutique created in collaboration with the charity Convivio (Italy's most charitable non-profit biennial trade fair institution, favouring ANLAIDS of Lombardy (Italy's National Association for the fight against HIV and AIDS) with its main mission being research, prevention, awareness and support programs) featuring fashion titans such as Prada, Chanel, Balenciaga, Etro and Lanvin, as well as vintage pieces donated by Halle Berry, Catherine Zeta-Jones and other leading lights of the red carpet. Festive feelings of joy and nostalgia are sure to be evoked by those visiting the traditional Christmas markets at Ingolstadt Village near Munich and Wertheim Village near Frankfurt, with local crafts and decorations ready to be enjoyed with plenty of spicy mulled wine.

With creativity, charm and glamour in abundance, and cosy treats and seasonal hospitality aplenty, what better atmosphere could there be in which to shop for inspired festive gifts from the world's most admired and aspirational designer brands, than at the Collection of Chic Outlet Shopping^® Villages?

Notes to Editors

International Jury

Marcio Alves Roiter, Brazil

Marcio is considered a world-renowned expert in the subject of Art Deco. He is President of the Art Deco Institute of Brazil and the man behind the 11^th World Congress of Art Deco, which took place in Rio de Janeiro in 2011.

Eva Jean Bart-Lorenzotti, USA

Named by US Vogue as one of the world's most stylish women, she is frequently invited to share her passion and insight on the industry and style. Eva lends her expertise to a number of philanthropic efforts, including leadership roles in the Guggenheim Museum Young Collectors Council.

Vadim Yasnogorodsky, Russia

Having studied at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Vadim currently heads Home Concept (design furniture) and teaches at the British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow. He has held positions with Vogue, GQ and Wallpaper* Magazine Russia (EIC).

Nicole Schoeni, Hong Kong

Born into the Hong Kong arts scene, Nicole now heads up the Schoeni Art Gallery, which was established by her late father Mandred Schoeni, to showcase contemporary Chinese artists. She continues to expand the gallery, currently extending the collection into English urban art, which reflects her personal interest and influences from her own in education in art.

Steve Leung, Hong Kong

Steve Leung is a leading award-winning architect and interior designer born in 1957 in Hong Kong. Steve received a BA degree in Architecture from the University of Hong Kong in 1981 and was appointed to represent Hong Kong in the UIA International Design Competition for Students in Poland, for which he has won several awards.

Colin McDowell, UK and Ireland

As senior fashion writer for The Sunday Times, in the 1990s and 2000s, Colin became a familiar sight in the front row of fashion shows alongside his contemporaries Anna Wintour and Suzy Menkes. He is the author of some 20 books on fashion and designers, including McDowell's Directory of Twentieth Century Fashion. In 2008 he was appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to fashion. Colin is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and has been awarded honorary doctorates and professorships by five British universities. He is creative director of the Audi Fashion Festival Singapore. In 2010 he was appointed Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art.

Umberta Gnutti Beretta, Italy

With a BA degree in business, Umberta is an entrepreneur with a focus on social and art-related projects. She is a member of the board of the Beretta Foundation For Cancer Research, which supports various associations such as RED and amfAR, and is the president of the restoration club of Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan.

Gert Voorjans, Belgium

Gert is an architect and designer specialising in residential development and fashion retail. Renowned as a Belgian designer, he has designed interiors for a clientele that includes Dries Van Noten, Mick Jagger among others. An enthusiast of Art Deco, Gert was recently selected as one of the 100 best interior designers in the world.

Michael Von Hassel, Germany

A photographic artist, Michael has a strong celebrity following and has held more than 50 exhibitions in the last five years both in Germany, Dubai, Mexico and India. In 2011 he presented one of the world's largest photographs. Mounted behind glass, it stands at almost 20 square metres in size.

Montse Cuesta, Spain

Montse Cuesta is the editor of Architectural Digest Spain. Well known as an authority on art, crafts and decorative arts she has served as director of Architectural Digest. Involved in various art-related projects, she is currently collaborating with ARCO in a contest to choose a designer to decorate ARCO´S VIP lounge.

Mathilde de L'Ecotais, France

Mathilde is a photographer, designer, director, inspired by materials and different textures. She collaborated on the last book by French modern chef Thierry Marx, to which she contributed 200 photographs and 20 films for the publication's accompanying DVD. She created a travelling art exhibition in France entitled 'Edo' (meaning "to eat"), with a focus on the abstract textures of ordinary food items. She has worked in photojournalism for major print publications such as the Los Angeles Times. Among many other awards, Mathilde was recently elected 'Woman of the Year' by the magazine Jalouse.

Participating Design Schools

IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), Madrid and Milan

The IED was established in Milan more than 45 years ago as an educational institution in all disciplines of design, visual communication and fashion. Today it is a private school of Design Art Education and exists in nine locations around the world including Italy, Spain and Brazil, attracting students from more than 90 countries. IED Design course options include a university degree, intensive Master's degree, specialised courses as well as executive and summer courses.

Royal College of Art, London

Celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, the Royal College of Art is the world's most influential postgraduate university of art and design. Based in South Kensington and Battersea, the College's roll call of alumni reads like a who's who of art and design, and includes Sir James Dyson, Tracey Emin, Sir Peter Blake and renowned film director Sir Ridley Scott.

ESMOD, Paris

Esmod Paris is a historic school that is the centre of a worldwide network of 21 schools. Esmod Paris encourages dynamism and movement in fashion while bringing together talent and spawning innovation. From the beginning, Esmod has designed its programme with the realities of the fashion industry in mind. The school has forged professional credibility while providing its students with true value on the market for talent. Exchange programmes, partnerships with renowned institutions, international professors and diverse interactions are all opportunities for students to enrich their careers at an international level.

National College of Art and Design, Ireland

The National College of Art and Design originally started as a private drawing school in 1746 and is now a national institution, enrolling more than 750 full-time students each year. The College has four faculties: Design, Education, Fine Art and Visual Culture. Past NCAD students include Orla Kiely and Philip Treacy.

U5 Academy, Munich

U5 Academy is a private institution based in Munich that has been educating students in the areas of graphic design and communications design with an emphasis on advertising communication for 40 years. The school follows the motto, "Our students should study reality", teaching practical life-applicable design skills that prepare its students for corporate employability.

About Chic Outlet Shopping^®

Chic Outlet Shopping^® is the Collection of luxury outlet Villages by Value Retail, the only company to specialise exclusively in the development and operation of luxury outlet shopping Villages. The Villages offer the authentic previous seasons' collections of leading luxury fashion and lifestyle brands with savings of up to 60%, and sometimes more, on the recommended retail price, all year round. Within easy reach of some of Europe's and China's favourite gateway cities - London, Dublin, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Bologna, Brussels, Antwerp, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and, in 2014, Suzhou and Shanghai - the Villages are synonymous with high fashion, superior service and hospitality, a calendar of celebrated events, and exceptional value for money. Located in regions of cultural and historic renown, the Villages have become international tourist destinations in their own right. Value Retail's new venture to bring its distinctive Chic Outlet Shopping^® Villages to China will see its first Village - Suzhou Village™ - located in historic Suzhou, 50 miles west of Shanghai. As with other members of the Collection, Suzhou Village™ will be defined by its offer of international luxury fashion and lifestyle brands, together with an exceptional level of service.