Rare Brand delights for Festival of Chichester

Emma Schwarz, a keen supporter of the new festival, is delighted to feature one of her key annual events as part of the festival programme.

The Rare Brand Summer Market offers Fashion and Food on the Farm at Southend Barns, Donnington, on Thursday, June 27 – a chance to enjoy 60-70 rare brands including a lovely rare food brand section and a summer café run by caterers Field and Fork.

As Emma says, it is a great chance to celebrate independent retailers: “It is young and emerging brands that are innovative and different, either importing or making products and launching into the UK market. We try to capture them as they are starting off.”

Some might exist only online at the moment; some might have dabbled just a little in the London markets; all will offer great opportunities as Emma does her bit to redefine the shopping experience.

It’s an event for those of us who are bored of trailing up and down high streets looking at exactly the same items; instead, the Rare Brand Summer Market will offer something genuinely different – and much more agreeable, as Emma explains.

“You can meet up with girlfriends, shop, have coffee, shop, attend one of the workshops, have a really lovely time.”

One of the workshops, offered by Denise Kelly, is on how to feel vibrant through nutrition; the other, by Jules Standish, will help steer women away from the safety of wearing black, guiding them instead towards a much more colourful wardrobe.

As for the brands, Emma is delighted to be offering travel, garden furniture, interiors, women’s clothing, children’s clothing – and around five brands for men.

On top of all this, the day will also see the launch of the Rare Brand cook book, a new venture for Emma, bringing together 55 rare brands. The morning session is 9am-2pm, the afternoon session is 2-6pm, and the evening session is 7-10pm. Tickets £5 standard ticket; £10 to include workshop. Tickets on www.festivalofchichester.co.uk