At Little Bramingham Farm, our Luton-based residential care home, residents have a new calendar diary date which nobody wants to miss – shopping at local fashion entrepreneurs’ Up-Style’s pop-up boutique shop.
Luton-based Up-Style, which is owned and managed by Mother and Daughter, Caroline and Michaela Ward, is setting up shop every other month in the care home’s beautiful gardens, adjacent to the popular Susie’s Tea Room and is open to all to visit. “We reached out to Caroline and Michaela as we thought that having Up-Style’s pop-up shop, with its great selection of hand-picked styles would be a lovely activity for our residents to enjoy and for members of the local community to visit,” said Emma Lawrance, the Registered Manager at the care home.
Caroline and Michaela decided to create and set-up Up-Style as they share a deep love of fashion. “Our love of all things fashion was our motivation for creating Up-Style four years ago,” said Caroline. “Neither of us have ever worked in the Fashion Industry or Retail Sector, in fact I worked for an airline in the Customer Services Department, so it was a real change,” added Michaela.
The Up-Style pop-up boutique sells an eclectic and stylish range of items, all sourced from London, and especially hand-picked and put together my Michaela and Caroline. “We sell a wide range of fashionable jumpers, trousers, jackets, scarfs, jewellery and bags,” continued Michaela. “Helping our customers to decide on a new look or helping to style an outfit which makes someone feel special, beautiful and happy is a wonderful feeling – and what a great thing to be able to do for someone.”
“The residents thoroughly loved the first Up-Style pop-up boutique experience,” added Karen Charity, Little Bramingham Farm’s Activities Coordinator. “Being able to visit such a unique clothes and accessories shop, literally in their back garden, have a mooch at all the different things for sale, chat to Caroline and Michaela about different outfits and ask advice on colours and styles, was a terrific way to spend an afternoon.”
“Not only did the residents make quite a few purchases, they also enjoyed chatting with Michaela and Caroline – and, after their shopping excursion, popping into Susie’s Tea Room for a warming cup of tea and tasty cake. What a nice way to end their shopping trips,” concluded Emma.
Find out more about The Lawn care home by calling 03305 550 378 or emailing enquiries@fote.org.uk.