Do you love the street as much as I do? You could win a trip of a lifetime to the Maldives if you do – here’s how

TO celebrate the relaunch of our awards, Fabulous fashion director Tracey Lea Sayer reveals why the high street has always held a special place in her heart…

I was ten years old when I first discovered the joy of shopping for clothes on the streets with my mother and grandmother.

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Going into town on Saturday has become a family tradition – a girls’ day out that we look forward to all week.

My mother’s favorite store was M&S, where she looked at jackets with big shoulder pads and floral dresses, while my grandmother went straight to John Lewis and their classic, elegant coats. court shoe.

I was on top of Tammy Girl and Chelsea Girl, which was later renamed the street favorite River Island. I spent hours in the locker rooms, watched by my two cheerleaders, who agreed – or didn’t agree – with what I was experiencing.

Seduced me

Ruffled ra-ra skirts, duster coats, polka dot leggings. . . I tried them all, often making my grandmother howl with laughter.

Fashion wasn’t so fast in the 1980s and every item was valued and worn until it fell apart – literally.

At 18 I went to art college and my tastes became more refined. Extra money from a part-time job in a bar meant I could move to slightly more expensive stores like Warehouse, Miss Selfridge and Topshop. At that point I knew I wanted to work in fashion, as the street totally seduced me.

Win a unique trip to the Maldives

VOTE in our Fabulous High Street Fashion Awards – and you could win a luxury trip to the Maldives.

The lucky winner will receive seven nights for two adults in a Sunset Sky Suite at the Ifuru Island resort in an exclusive premium all-inclusive package.

You can also win a £500 shopping spree at Next and £500 vouchers to spend at New Look, River Island, John Lewis, Primark, F&F and Tu at Sainsbury’s.

To vote for our awards and enter the competition, visit thesun.co.uk/fabulous-fashion-awards-2024 by 28 July.

One day, I wrote an article for a contest in a glossy magazine about my love of retail therapy and my favorite LBD — and I won! This led me to where I am today – Fashion Director at Fabulous.

But I’m still a street queen at heart and that’s why I’m so excited to relaunch the Fabulous High Street Fashion Awards.

You can all vote for your favorite stores and online retailers. You have until 28th July at 12pm to vote and you will be entered into a prize draw to win an £8,000 holiday to the Maldives.

It’s not just me who loves the streets – renowned designers are also fans. When “Cool Britannia” debuted in the 90s, all the brands appeared in one big store.

Designers at Debenhams was a stroke of genius from store CEO Belinda Earl, designer Ben de Lisi and fashion director Spencer Hawken, who introduced diffusion lines from John Rocha, Matthew Williamson and Betty Jackson, to name a few.

This meant we could all afford a little luxury. Years later, I hosted an evening with Debenhams and Fabulous for 250 readers, who were delighted to meet all the designers. It was a real career highlight for me.

In 2004, H&M began launching its international designer collaborations.

Karl Lagerfeld was first, followed by Roberto Cavalli, Marni, Stella McCartney and many more.

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Then, in 2007, Kate Moss launched her first collection at Topshop, with thousands of people lining up on London’s Oxford Street.

At the time, the main street was on fire. Who needed designer shopping when Mango stocked foil pants like Isabel Marant’s and you could buy a piece of Barbara Hulanicki’s legendary Biba brand at Topshop?

High street stores even started to invade London Fashion Week.

Although Topshop Unique had been showing collections since 2001, in 2013 River Island showed its first collection in collaboration with global superstar Rihanna. KER-CHING!

A whole new generation of high-profile street collaborations followed. Beyoncé created Ivy Park with Topshop’s Philip Green and I even flew to Los Angeles for Fabulous to photograph the Kardashian sisters in their “Kollection” for Dorothy Perkins.

Fast forward to 2024 and although the high street doesn’t look quite like it did pre-Covid, it has made a gallant return. Stores like M&S, Reserved and Zara, and designer collaborations Victoria Beckham X Mango and Rochelle Humes for Next are giving me all the feels.

The last 30 years of street fashion have been a great adventure for me.

Bring on the next 30!