POSTED ON: Wednesday, 8th April 2009 (2023 COMMENTS)

Blogs - Newcomers can really put Birmingham on the map

Birmingham Post Column 16.02.2009:

I was in London last week, chatting with someone in the fashion industry who made a couple of fairly derogative comments about Birmingham. He snorted at the city's style credentials and questioned how it could possibly be considered a creative hotbed. Benny from Crossroads seemed to be the basis of his argument. Anyone who knows me well, will know that I quickly put this man straight and I turned on my heels to start a more light-hearted conversation with someone else. But it did get me thinking - am I right to always enthuse about our city or am I looking at it through rose-tinted designer spectacles?

You will often hear me harking on about what a great shopping hotspot Birmingham is and how I am proud to be at the centre of it at Harvey Nichols. But my passion comes as no surprise when you consider this city has been catapulted up the retail charts and is now officially noted as offering the second best retail in the UK outside London's West End. I love that I can impress visiting business colleagues from all corners of the world with top class dining at the likes of Purnells and Simpsons. Thanks to the amazingly skilled chefs at the helm of these restaurants, Birmingham can boost three Michelin stars. Again, the best outside of the capital. But many may still argue that the shops and restaurants are the 'final product', the finished article, and that most cities in the country now offer high end labels and top nosh.

What about the nitty gritty of the creative industries, the designers and makers who work tirelessly behind the scenes? A year or two ago I would have agreed with my London acquaintance and struggled to have come up with examples. Times are changing though and slowly but surely our creatives are starting to make a name for themselves, with the likes of Jacob Kimmie and Osman Yousefzada paving the way for a new generation of talent. Later this month, Fazeley Studios, in Digbeth, is hosting a major event to not only mark its official opening but also recognise just how much the creative industries are growing. At Harvey Nichols, we decided to back this night of fashion, film and photography. Our decision was based on two reasons. We feel strongly that it is the small companies that keep the big ones in business â€“ if it wasn't for a whole host of independents I would have very little to fill the rails in my store. It is now time for us to give our backing and support to a new raft of newcomers. That way, Birmingham will continue to develop as a centre for imagination and ideas.

Kevin Breese, General Manager, Harvey Nichols Birmingham