Award-winning independent salon Simon Webster Hair has been voted best ‘Festively Fabulous’ dressed window, according to voters in Brilliant Brighton’s window dressing competition which ran from 19th November – 31st December 2022.
Over 20 businesses in North Laine and The Lanes took part, with over 880 residents voting for their favourite festive display, over the six week period. Simon Webster Hair received the most votes for their chic festive dressing which included lush foliage and twinkly fairy lights, to be named the winner and pocket a £150 cash prize.
The window dressing competition was organised by Brilliant Brighton (a not-for-profit organisation formed of 517 city centre businesses who come together to put on projects – including the city centre’s Christmas lights – to make Brighton a wonderful place to work, live and visit) to spread festive cheer and celebrate the creativity within the city centre’s business community.
“Brilliant Brighton has such a diverse range of businesses; from cafes and eateries, to stores and salons, and it’s been fantastic to see so many get ‘festively fabulous’ with dressing their window for our competition and the support from local residents voting for them! We’ve seen illustrations, wreaths, toy dogs on sleighs and lots of lovely lights, adding to the Christmas atmosphere in the city centre. Huge congratulations to our winners Simon Webster Hair, and of course, the lucky voter drawn in our prize draw, who also won £150! ” Shelley Welti, Marketing and Events Manager for Brilliant Brighton says.
“It was great to take part in the competition this year. We made all the garlands ourselves with supplies bought from fellow North Laine independent businesses because we wanted to keep everything locally-sourced and sustainable,” says Sophie Webster, founder and manager of Simon Webster Hair.
The 880+ voters were entered into a prize draw to win £150 too. Stephen Divers was the drawn as the lucky winner and has shared that the money will be donated to charity, ahead of two fundraising 100 mile bike rides he’s taking on later this year. “It was really great looking round Brilliant Brighton throughout the Christmas season, seeing the effort and love the businesses had put into their displays as usual, despite all the cost increases we are all experiencing. With the prize money, I will be putting this towards the Guts UK charity I am supporting this year through the London Marathon Events 100 Mile Bike Ride and Tour Of Cambridge 100 Mile Sportive Ride.”
A big thank you to everyone who voted and the below businesses who got involved:
To Be Worn Again, 12 Kensington Gardens
Cloth Control, 6a Kensington Gardens
Bert’s Homestore, 10 Kensington Gardens
Infinity Foods, 25 North Road
Whirligig, 9 Gardner Street
Jaba Yard, 18 Bond Street
Silverado, 31 Bond Street
Stay In Your Lane Vintage, 42 Bond Street
Collectif, 29 Bond Street
Soctopus, 37 Bond Street
Creature Clothes, 23 Bond Street
Kellie Miller Arts Gallery, 20 Market Street
The Stanley Road Department Store, 54 Market Street
The Witch Ball & Fetheray, 48 Meeting House Lane
Gold Arts, 7 Brighton Place
Donatello, 1-3 Brighton Place
Whittard of Chelsea, 51 East St
Simon Webster Hair, 16 Gardner St
Brod + Wolf, 47 Gardner St
Embassy London, 22 Bond St
Resident, 28 Kensington Gardens