The Collagerie edit

Do you believe in love at first sight? When it comes to fashion, there’s a unique thrill to finding that dream piece – a delight that only real-world shopping delivers. This is the magic of the Village, it’s a shopper’s paradise – one that comes into its own with the arrival of the festive season. But there’s so much more than shopping to the Bicester Village experience...

There’s bliss of sartorial socialising – meeting with friends to find that shimmering party piece, before indulging in a cocktail or two once the treasure hunt is complete. Then there’s the pleasure to be found in the myriad sights, sounds and scents: the caress of a silken blouse; the luxurious smell of a glossy leather tote; the excited buzz of fellow style devotees.

Nowhere conjures these delights quite like Bicester and with party just around the corner, we invited Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood - former Vogue editors and co-founders of Collagerie.com, the go-to for exquisite wardrobe and lifestyle curations, and influencer Lola Bute, to fall in love with real world shopping again.

Serena Hood fell for the dream dress... “If you’re anything like me, you’ll welcome party season as the year’s fashion apex. There’s nothing quite like the buzz that comes when a glamorous invitation drops through the letterbox; that’s when my hunt for an ‘out-out’ ensemble begins. But it feels like forever since my last party-shopping spree, which is why visiting Bicester was such a delight."

"Dashing from McQueen to Burberry, Celine to Chloé (what heaven to find all my best-loved brands in a single space!) I twirled and in dress after dazzling dress, FaceTiming the girls with my favourites until I found ‘the one’."

"Visiting The Village reminded me of the social side of shopping, and with the festive season just beginning, I ended the day with the promise: ‘Bicester, I’ll be back!’”

"I’ve always experienced clothes as much more than mere coverings. Each piece I own is a sartorial snapshot that conjures powerful memories: the bag I took to a life-changing job interview; the first-date shoes..."

"Clothes speak for you: communicating character and broadcasting emotion; sparkling in the spotlight or comforting and cocooning. But they also speak to you – something in their look, feel or scent captures your imagination."

"As I browsed favourite brands at Bicester Village, my eye was caught by an elegant clutch – a love-forever piece that speaks to my thirst for designs with longevity. I know it will soon carry memories of its own, not least of the day I rediscovered a passion for real-world shopping at Bicester."

“Timeless design is more than a trend. Choosing iconic pieces or quirky, off-beat buys is a way to shop sustainably, selecting looks you’ll love long after the trend merry-go-round has moved on. A mannish great coat, a pristine white blouse, polished riding boots, a rodeo bag – these classics will live in your wardrobe for a lifetime.”

"Fashion has such transformative power, and clothes have always been my plaything and my visual language. I can dive into my wardrobe and reappear as a bookish bluestocking, a boho beach babe or a dancefloor queen – revealing multiple sides of my personality in a matter of minutes. But like so many people, the last 18 months saw my wardrobe shrink to variations on loungewear."