Ella Douglas, wonderful winner of the Fashion Forward design competition, has created an arresting window display which you can admire at Oxford’s new luxury hotel, The Store, until 17th March.
Stopping dead in their tracks amid the hustle bustle of Oxford, a clutch of students gaze into a window.
Behind the glass, amid a storm of crumpled yellow parking fine notices, bold red and blue trucker caps swirl mid-air, primary-coloured pops alongside mannequins dressed to the nines in wondrous spiky & textured gowns, battling the “elements”.
Although the scene is silent, the impact is wildly bold, as arresting as a siren on a chilly February night…
“My window display invites viewers to step into a blustery Oxford scene within a whirlwind of overdue parking tickets,” explains its creator, the fashion designer Ella Douglas.
“This project challenged and inspired me at every stage—from concept to installation, I was fully immersed in designing, constructing, and bringing the set to life. When the opportunity to enter this competition arose, I was beyond thrilled—this truly represents my dream project.”
Ella, who happens to be from Oxford (she’s a former pupil of Cheney school), is the worthy winner of Fashion Forward, the inaugural edition of a joint fashion design competition organised by Oxford Fashion Studio to coincide with Oxford Fashion Week, and The Store.
As part of the competition, a group of talented young independent UK designers presented their creations to an illustrious panel of judges, including: Anusha Couttigane of Vogue Business; Erin Robertson, fashion designer and winner of Project Runway (Season 15, 2016); Hannah Kane, editor and lecturer at the London College of Fashion; Tiffany Saunders, fashion & runway director at Oxford Fashion Studio; George Graham, founder and CEO at Wolf & Badger and Simon Drake, general manager of The Store.
Ella’s work graces The Store’s spectacular floor-to-ceiling window facing Broad Street until 17th March and Ella is e-tailing her winning collection with fashion & lifestyle-lovers’ haven retailer Wolf & Badger and via Oxford Fashion Studio’s new digital platform.
Carl Anglim, Oxford Fashion Studio director, says: “The creativity and originality of emerging designers across the UK is truly inspiring. Oxford Fashion Studio was founded in 2009 to support that talent and now operates across the fashion capitals. We are thrilled to be back in Oxford offering a platform for emerging designers where Boswell’s once stood, and we applaud Ella Douglas for her outstanding concept that has made her our deserved winner.”
Ella’s distinctive approach to avant-garde design draws inspiration from queer identities, subcultures and unconventional aesthetics. A recent graduate of Central Saint Martins, her bold design elements include 17,000 hand-applied spikes and industrial-influenced textures, forming a unique fusion of identity, narrative and unapologetic style. Her window display, showcases her collection, a reimagining of trucker culture and queer aesthetics, including her Oxford Trucking hats, which is especially appropriate given the city’s links rich motor industry heritage. The interactive window is equipped with QR codes and is delightfully 3D which is why it’s attracting so much interest from passers-by.
Situated in former Oxford institution, Boswells department store, The Store opened last May. The sumptuously stylish seven-floor, 101 room hotel is a magnet for foodies, thanks to its three dining outlets, including destination restaurant, Treadwell (set alongside the once storied Treadwell Passage, and serving breakfast lunch and dinner) and rooftop bar offering some of the best views of the city, to be enjoyed alongside a stellar cocktail menu.
“Boswells was one of the world’s oldest department stores dating back to 1738,” says GM Simon Drake. “It was family-owned and much loved by the local community. In the tradition of great British department stores, it was a place of discovery. We want to carry forward this incredible legacy and remain a hub of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.”
Ella adds: “What makes this opportunity even more special is that it’s in my hometown of Oxford, specifically in the former Boswells department store, a place filled with cherished memories of Christmas shopping with my grandma. The significance of this location is deeply personal and meaningful.
“I moved away from Oxford believing that the fashion scene did not offer the opportunities I needed. So, to see such an inspiring, forward-thinking fashion project take place in my own Oxford, housed in a beautiful building that my family can admire whenever they visit, is truly monumental.
“As a child, I spent countless weekends envisioning and designing storefronts, fueling my passion for interior design and immersive visual storytelling. The ability to build an environment that reflects my artistic vision is both a privilege and a deeply fulfilling experience.”
