On the loveliest of September days I found myself Midlands-bound, setting off for Hampton Manor - a lovely country house venue near Birmingham, for the hotly anticipated launch of Country Lookbook, supported by the fabulous Femme Country Magazine. Promising to provide a 'one stop shop' platform for country and equestrian fashion tips, brand information and, most importantly, outfit inspiration, Country Lookbook aims to provide an unparalleled way to connect brands and customers, as well as providing fresh styling ideas - no more delving into the bowels of Pinterest for new inspiration!
Over 100 of then UK's best known influencers and country brands attended a wonderful event full of bubbles, nibbles and the sound of excited chatter as friends old and new caught up on each other's news, or celebrated meeting 'IRL' for the very first time.
As a brand owner, it was lovely to meet so many of our customers, as well as hearing directly from them what they'd like to see from future collections. Another aspect I really enjoyed was having this opportunity to meet other country brands. Being a small business owner can often be lonely and isolating, with struggles your friends and family can't understand and that you might not want to share with your customers, and it was so good to have the opportunity to chat with others in the same position. Attending the event also gave me the chance to see other brands' products, and with so many beautiful products there was inspiration aplenty!
With a lively and engaging panel debate covering a wide range of country and equestrian style topics, Beth of Country Lookbook and Brontë from Femme Country Magazine hosted something innovative and thought provoking, and it was encouraging to hear this may also be a feature of future events.
And the best part of the day? In one word - atmosphere. In one room, the air was full of such a positive energy which was so uplifting. As one attendee put it, "the best thing about getting together at events like this is that it's women supporting women."
Make sure you're following Country Lookbook and Femme to stay up to date with everything they're working on - you won't be disappointed!