Brilliant Brighton is delighted to announce Cloth Control as the winner of this year’s Festive Window Dressing Competition! For the second year running, the independent fabric shop in the heart of North Laine has taken home the top prize – capturing the hearts of the public with its enchanting and creative display, featuring a stunning snowflake-inspired dress.
The competition, organised by Brilliant Brighton (a not-for-profit organisation formed of 517 city centre businesses, who come together to fund projects, including the city centre’s Christmas lights) saw 26 businesses throughout North Laine, The Lanes and East Street decorate their windows for those all-important public votes. Over 400 votes were cast between 16th November – 5th January, with Cloth Control receiving the most.
Päivi Salo, the owner of Cloth Control in Kensington Gardens, expressed her heartfelt gratitude upon receiving the news: “I’m absolutely speechless and very humbled by all this, and especially the voters’ comments, which made me feel very emotional. With my window displays, I always try to inspire people to be creative. The Christmas ones are special as they always have a personal meaning, and a little extra attention.”
Päivi,a former freelance seamstress who has worked for the Royal Opera House, Kylie Minogue and the National Television Awards, continued: “Growing up in Lapland, there was so much snow, and I could watch it falling from the sky for hours. This is what I miss most about Finland and was the inspiration for the dress. I spent days cutting out the childlike fabric snowflakes for the dress, and it’s nice to show that something as simple as this can be the base of something magical.”
Members of the public who voted for Cloth Control shared their admiration for the display:
“I loved the personal story behind the design. You can feel the love and effort that went into creating it,” one voter explained. “Päivi’s display transported me back to childhood winters. It’s magical and heartwarming,” added another. “I think this window is magical and brightens up North Laine perfectly. The owner of this shop is such a talent and has created a real buzz within the community,” wrote a further voter.
The Festive Window Dressing Competition received a warm response from the community. Christmas day trippers and local residents alike praised the Window Dressing Competition for further adding a festive feel to the city centre. Just a few comments submitted by voters included:
- “Walking through Brighton during the festive season feels so special with all these creative windows. It really lifts the mood.”
- “The competition is such a wonderful way to showcase the talent of our local businesses. It’s a joy to see the effort everyone has put in.”
- “The displays are stunning and add so much charm to the city. It’s a brilliant initiative.”
- “What a wonderful idea to celebrate Brighton businesses!”
- “It’s just lovely to see local businesses putting in so much effort – it feels very special.”
- “Extremely festive and good suggestions for Christmas shopping!”
- “Some great windows! It gets harder each year to choose.”
Brilliant Brighton’s Marketing & Events Manager, Shelley Welti, said: “This year’s entries were truly incredible, reflecting the creativity and community spirit that make our city centre so unique. Cloth Control’s window was particularly special, capturing both the beauty of the season and giving a nostalgic nod to Päivi’s magical snow-filled childhood Christmases. Congratulations to Päivi and the Cloth Control team for such a magical display! Winning two years in a row is a testament to their creativity and dedication to spreading festive cheer.”
Not only did Päivi and the Cloth Control team win the coveted title of ‘best dressed’ window, but they also received a £75 Brighton Gift Card! One lucky voter, drawn at random in a prize giveaway, also won themselves a Brighton Gift Card. The Gift Cards are another Brilliant Brighton initiative to help keep spend in our city centre businesses – and are currently accepted by over 70 businesses, including big brands and beloved independents.
Further information about Brilliant Brighton and the Brighton Gift Card can be found at brilliantbrighton.com.
