Bright Young Things is a multi-dimensional presentation of the work of designers Selfridges predicts will make the biggest noise in 2011 and beyond. The Bright Young Things is both a total concept window scheme and three in-store and online temporary shops. Official launch of the scheme was held on 10 January 2011, and the scheme will be running till February.

The buying and creative teams at Selfridges have scoured the UK in 2010 to find the most creative and exciting new names from the worlds of fashion and art with the view to help nurture and fast-track their growth within their chosen design field.

The Bright Young Things are 20 outstanding creators including several fashion and accessories designers, jewellers, milliners, set and prop designers, one illustrator and an art collective, The John Hour. They were all offered the chance to create their own window with the sole direction that it should entirely reflect the essence of their brand and the vision for their output in 2011.

It is the first time that Selfridges has given ‘carte blanche’ to new designers to creatively take over the whole run of its Oxford Street windows, some of the most famous in the world, seen by over one million people every week.

The Bright Young Things windows will have an in-store extension in the form of two temporary shops showcasing the best collection pieces from all the creators. The shops will also feature limited-edition products designed exclusively for Selfridges by each of them. Additionally, a virtual Bright Young Things shop, offering a comprehensive edit of the pieces available in store, will go live at Selfridges.com. The windows and all three temporary shops will launch simultaneously.

Selfridges’ Bright Young Things store-wide initiative will be further supported by a range of activities taking place in the temporary shops to coincide with London Fashion Week autumn/ winter 2011.

One key change will take place during the Bright Young Things project at Selfridges. The 20 creators will present their windows in two group showings. The first from 10 January until 3 February will feature the first 10: Charlie Le Mindu, Kei Kagami, Reid Peppard, Alex Noble, Lilee, Simone Rocha, Sophie Stevens, Frances Konteh, Craig Lawrence and Kirsty Ward. The second will run from 4 February until the end of the month and will show the windows and designs of Jessica Dance, Patternity, Shao Yen, Martine Rose, New Power Studio, Rhea Thierstein, Little Glass Clementine, Matthew Miller, Yang Du and Lee Roach.

The art collective The John Hour, made up of artists Emma Gibson, Emily Pugh and Raven Smith, is taking over the Wonder Windows, situated on Orchard Street, for the whole duration of Bright Young Things. The three artists will transform five windows by curating stunning installations from a variety of collected, intricately sourced and beautifully assembled objects. The work plays on the juxtaposition of the old and the new, the technological and the analogue to evolve into a stimulating metaphor for the way we live.

Bright Young Things will also extend to the Selfridges store in Manchester Exchange Square where student Paul Williams, a 4th year MDes in Graphic Design at Sheffield Hallam University, won a competition to create a piece of art to grace the 6m by 3.8m window on Corporation Street, central Manchester. The vinyl window-wrap, revealed on 7 January 2011, features a montage of photographs of the people of Manchester spelling out the word ‘Hello’ and is entitled ‘15 Seconds’.

Bright Young Things men’s clothing and accessories will be found in Men’s Contemporary, 1st Floor and women’s clothing and accessories in Women’s Contemporary, 3rd Floor. Products from ‘The John Hour’ will feature in both shops and as part of the products sold on Selfridges.com.