Christmas arrives with a bang at ODEL evoking ‘That Fa la la Feeling’

• New 16,000 sq. ft. lounge for wining and dining, magical store makeover and glam fashion show herald the festive season

Glamour, dazzle and joie de vivre morphed into a celebration of near cosmic proportions when ODEL pulled out all the stops to usher in the festive season at Alexandra Place.

Raising its game to unparalleled heights, the iconic fashion and lifestyle retailer executed a fairy-tale like transformation of its flagship store, opened its swanky all-new ‘The Promenade – ODEL’ for wining and dining and hosted a scintillating fashion show that had guests and shoppers gasping in delight.

Visitors to Alexandra Place this season will be awed by the 16,000 square-foot open-air lounge formally declared open by Softlogic Group Chairman Ashok Pathirage as part of ODEL’s customary heralding of the season of good cheer and shopping. Bigger, snazzier and classier than its predecessor, ‘The Promenade - ODEL’ lounge consists of two a-la-carte spaces that include restaurants, a café and a bistro, eight food and drink vendor outlets, a nail and foot spa, making it a destination in its own right.

The food and beverage offering at The Promenade – ODEL caters to wide customer tastes, with the Alexandra & Ward fashion-themed café offering Italian cuisine as well as Japanese dishes from Nihonbashi; the Sugar Bistro & Bar with its American and Continental menus; and the tenant outlets Bubble Tea, Il Gelato, Roots, Mango Tree, Chariot, Hot Dog/Chop Shop, Sea Food Shack and Magic Corn providing an eclectic mix of refreshments.

Large trees, marquees and clever lighting combine with colour tones of lush green, mahogany, white and red to provide a cosy, relaxing ambience that is guaranteed to take the frenetic out of shopping. Fridays and Saturdays will be especially welcoming with live lounge music playing. The Promenade – ODEL will be open till 11 p.m. daily, even after the store is closed.

The formal opening of the Promenade after several months of construction coincided with the annual thematic transformation of ODEL stores for Christmas. At Alexandra Place, the traditional icons, décor and accoutrements of the festive season in hues of white, rose gold and nude perfectly matched ODEL’s latest fashion collection for the occasion, unveiled at a fashion show at which models threaded their way through guests at the just-opened lounge.

One of the highlights of ODEL’s multidimensional Christmas launch – themed ‘That Fa la la Feeling’ – the new clothing collection is inspired by international designers such as Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, Valentino, Chanel and Preen By Thornton Bregazzi. The collection comprised of two distinct elements, a casual mix of clothing for both men and women showcasing designs mixed with nudes, whites and shades of soft pink on the one hand, and a selection of glamorous evening and occasion wear in the same colour shades but with sparkling embellishments created with pearl work, lace, net, sequins, metallic, fur, snowflakes and Swarovski stone work.

The wide colour palette of the collection encompasses the sherbet tones, hints of blush, grown up rose gold, nude and white that represent elegance and glamour, and the shades of burgundy, red, black, silver and gold that evoke the festivity of the season. The collection uses distinguishing features like turtle necks, neck detailing, thigh high slits, wraps, plunging necklines, peter pan collars, cold shoulders and bow ties to emphasise its celebratory nature.

“Christmas brings out the best in us,” commented Pathirage. “ODEL has always been the place to visit during the festive season, but this year we have raised the bar very much higher. We are continuing to invest substantially in our fashion retail infrastructure to provide a complete shopping experience to shoppers by matching the international mall experience and aligning with global standards. With the opening of ‘The Promenade – ODEL’ our very own unique wining and dining experience which complements the overall shopping experience, this year’s Christmas launch provides just an inkling of what ODEL customers can expect in years to come.”

A series of exciting activities, entertainment acts and Santa-inspired surprises make ODEL the ultimate gift buying destination for shoppers this festive season. All stores will be open for extended shopping hours from 9th December onwards, with Alexandra Place staying open till 10 p.m. from the 9 to 11 December, till 11 p.m. from 16 to 18 December, till 10 p.m. between 19 and 22 December and till 11 p.m. on 23 and 24 December.

As is the case every year, visitors to ODEL are assured of all the traditional requirements of the season and much more, from gift vouchers and exclusive custom-assembled hampers for personal and corporate use, an extensive range of gastronomic seasonal specialities and a Home Department brim-full of unique Christmas décor. Adding to the excitement of shopping at ODEL this season will be two special weekend promotions for HSBC and American Express credit card holders in the month of December. All this makes ODEL everybody’s Special Seasonal Department Store.

 – Pix byRuwan Walpola