Over the past several years, Barcelona city centre has played host to an increasing array of shops and retail experiences. Passeig de Gràcia and its surroundings with Plaça Catalunya allow world class shopping opportunities within the city centre. However as many brands organically develop, they naturally look to seduce their public with the coveted unique selling point. The modern solution to this marketing matrix is the development of a total brand experience within a dedicated space in order to enrich, promote and experience the concepts of established as well as up-and-coming brands.
´La Colección´ is a portfolio of chic outlet shopping opportunities with 11 international locations from London to Shanghai. La Roca Village, its pied-a-terre shopping experience in Catalunya is located within a forty minute ride to the North West of Barcelona.
With over 140 main brands, visitors to the outlet can expect to experience a mixture of high end fashion where Dolce&Gabbana, Versace and Armani sit next to fast fashion favourites Desigual, Pepe Jeans and Puma. Adding into this assemblage homewares from Villeroy and Boch, jewellery from Swatch and consumables from Mori by Parco and Pasarela then it can be realised there is something mainstream for everyone to enjoy.
As well as representing main and established brands, every year La Roca Village is converted into an international showcase for emerging talent when it plays host to the notable Designers Collective pop-up boutique space. This second assemblage of over 200 products by fifty designers from all various disciplines exhibit and market their skills and products to a wider and more established market within this international showcase for emerging talent. Resolute design professionals such as Conrad Roset, Josep Abril and Pablo Erroz have been involved in the Barcelona Designers Collective as part of the expert panel that supports the project, which this year also features special guest Fern Mallis who is recognised as the creator of New York Fashion Week.
Until the 8th November, this showcase will offer an insight into the latest design talents in the world of fashion, graphic design and illustration, product design, art, crafts and contemporary jewelry. As explained by the acting chairperson to the panel of experts Nani Marquina, it will look to ¨discover, promote and support emerging talent, with commitment and a clear business focus.¨
Emerging fashion designers such as Txell Miras, Almudena Diaz and Xisqueta (with its unique Pyrenees wool specification) seek to make their names co-exist with other national and international companies present. Ceramic designer to El Celler de Can Roca, Andreu Carulla exhibits next to graphic design revolutionario Alex Trochut and ´street style trend´ Woody´s wooden fashion sunglasses making this a creative collection to traverse.
This ongoing project is the result of a joint partnership between the FAD (Fostering Arts & Design) who seek to identify and nurture talent in design and La Roca Village, with their extensive experience in the field of retail worldwide.
by Charles Daniel Mc Donald
