Shoppers at Bullring Birmingham were today surprised to see the iconic Bull sporting a dramatic new look.
Getting into the spirit of the upcoming Aegon Classic women’s tennis tournament, the Bull donned a set of pristine tennis whites to mark the internationally-renowned tennis tournament, taking place in Birmingham at the Edgbaston Priory Club from the 9th to the 16th June.
The creation was designed by a team of first year HND fashion students at South & City College Birmingham to mark the ‘one-month to go’ countdown until the start of the UK’s most prestigious all-female tennis tournament.
Dressed ready to hit the courts, three students worked over three weeks to create the Bull’s first-ever tennis outfit, made up of a t-shirt, shorts, a sweatband and a tennis racket. As Eileen Simons, Assistant Director of Fashion at South & City College Birmingham, explains: “The project has been a tremendous challenge for our students and is a great achievement, broadening and diversifying their skills and knowledge of the eclectic nature of the industry; one day a catwalk and the next day a bull.
“The tennis racket frame has been created by a local metal work company and finished by our three HND students; Leigh-Anne Rogers, Natalie Segelov and Minna Watson. All of the fabric in the outfit has been sourced locally from the world famous Rag Market in Birmingham.”
The tournament is one of the UK’s major tennis fixtures ahead of The Championships, Wimbledon. Lawrence Robertson, commercial director at the LTA, said: “The Aegon Classic is a world-famous tennis tournament that Birmingham is proud to have hosted for the last 32 years. To mark the one month to go countdown, we wanted to have a bit of fun by bringing tennis to the heart of the city.”
Tim Walley, General Manager at Bullring, added: "The bull is an iconic landmark for the city and has sported a number of outfits over the past few years, which have all been very popular with our visitors. I've no doubt that today's new outfit is sure to be a hit with our customers."
Georgie Moseley, chairman and founder of Help Harry Help Others, the Aegon Classic’s nominated charity, also came along to help celebrate the dressing of the Bull.
Staged in the heart of Birmingham, the Aegon Classic offers the chance to see some of the world’s top international female tennis players, returning to the Edgbaston Priory Club for the 32nd time from the 9th to the 16th June. Former winners of the event include Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic and Li Na.
Throughout the week, the tournament will be raising money to support local charity, Help Harry Help Others. Tickets are now on sale and are available from www.aegonclassic.co.uk/tickets. Prices start from just £10 on Monday 10 June and go up to £30 on finals day.