The search is on for Swansea’s Most Stylish Shopper and leading the hunt is one of the city’s most stylish young people, former Miss Wales Sara Manchipp.
The 24-year-old Baglan beauty has been named as one of the judges as the city’s fashion Mecca, the Quadrant Shopping Centre, stages an appeal for Swansea’s best-dressed to come on down next Thursday (May 29).
The Centre, which boasts an array of top high street fashion retailers, is offering a fantastic range of prizes for the person chosen as the city’s most stylish and Sara, Miss Wales in 2011, reckons the area has plenty of snappy dressers.
Up for grabs will be prizes worth over £300 from major retailers Debenhams, Superdry, Boots and The Body Shop to help the winner maintain their stylish image.
Photographer Adam Davies will be at the Quadrant on Thursday, May 29, to capture the city’s kings and queens of style and the top 20, as chosen by the judges, will be posted on Facebook with the winner chosen by public vote.
Sara, who has just completed her final year of a degree course in Psychology and Counselling at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Swansea, reckons there will be hot competition.
She said: “Swansea has its own different kind of style and a lot of that is down to the fact that we’re by this fabulous coastline so it’s a very outdoorsy lifestyle and there are so many young people here because there’s a high student population.
“They come from all over the UK and from across the world, from places like China, and they bring their own brand of exciting fashions with them to the city.
“People here like to look good. There are lots of gyms and we’ve got beaches and surfing so people spend time outside.
“The winner could be male or female because there are a lot of stylish gents around and some very well-dressed older people so the Most Stylish person could come from any walk of life.”
Animal lover Sara has raised money for local charity Llys Nini, the Welsh RSPCA, and now that her exams are over intends to volunteer for them as a dog walker to help her get out and about too.
This summer she will be competing for the title of Miss British Empire Wales and is also looking to raise money for The Lymphoma & Leukaemia Fund (Wales).
She still works in Subway in the city centre and said: “I really enjoy it there. I’m part of the furniture now and I know what all the regulars like.
“It’s been a great job to keep me going while I’ve been a student and now I’m just waiting for my results and hopefully I’ll graduate in July.
“I’d like to continue my studies and do a postgraduate course and then perhaps work in the health service, perhaps helping people with personality problems.”
For her own style she reckons you can’t beat the high street and she’s a regular in the Quadrant: “I would say I’m a fashion-conscious person but I’ve never been able to afford designer clothes.
“I love the high street stores – there can be too much emphasis on very expensive clothing and we can’t all afford Victoria Beckham’s latest but we do want to look good and I find the high street stores perfect for me.
“I’m thrilled to be asked to judge the Most Stylish Shopper and I can’t wait to find out the winner – male or female.”
Joining Sara on the judging panel will be Nanette Turkson, Fashion Editor for Swansea University student newspaper Waterfront, and Ellen Singleton, a styling expert and Head of Personal Shopping at Debenhams in the Quadrant Centre.
Nanette, a 21-year-old second year Politics, Philosophy and Law student is expecting a good turnout on Thursday. She said: “It will be good to see what Swansea has to offer and hopefully the entrants will show that being stylish isn’t always about spending a lot of money on each and every trend that comes your way, but more about developing a personal style.
“I am sure that the prize will definitely help out a student on a budget, and even those not necessarily on a budget, as every student loves a freebie.”
Ellen, from Cockett, who has worked for Debenhams for 19 years, knows what she will be looking for: “It’s about overall appearance,” she said: “Everyone is different and we suit different things.
“I will be looking to see if theyfollow trends or go for the classic look but I’m really looking forward to it and I’m sure we will see some really stylish people in the Quadrant that day.”
Ian Kirkpatrick, Manager of the Quadrant Shopping Centre, said: “Swansea is a very vibrant and youthful city and the student population play a major part in that.
“But there are plenty of stylish people of all ages who shop here in the Quadrant and it is very much a place to be seen and to meet people in Swansea so where better to find the city’s most stylish shoppers.
“We’re really looking forward to the event and the competition and there’s sure to be a fabulous selection of prizes for the winner.”
The judges will be shortlisting the candidates from pictures taken by photographer Adam Davies – but then it will be down to the public.
The pictures will go on display on the Quadrant Facebook page and it will be the public vote that decides the winner and the title of Swansea’s Most Stylish Shopper.
For the latest on Swansea’s Most Stylish Shopper go tohttps://www.facebook.com/QuadrantShoppingCentre
