Chiswick's very own godfather of British pop art Sir Peter Blake has joined the campaign to get more people to support Small Business Saturday next month.
Famous for creating the sleeve design for the Beatles album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the artist is working on a bespoke artwork featuring small businesses from across the UK, due to be released later this month.
He has been joined by British supermodel Daisy Lowe and BAFTA winning filmmaker Heidi Greensmith to encourage people to shop small, at the event on December 6.
Mr Blake said: "Small shops and the Great British Shopkeeper have been at the forefront of British culture for hundreds of years now.
"The notion of a 'Nation of Shopkeepers' is embedded in our folklore and the wonderful variety of today's independent shops as well as the character that small businesses bring to a local area make them an ideal subject matter for modern pop art.
"Having worked at a local butcher at the age of 13 I have also experienced the dedication and hard work that goes into running a small shop. It is for all these reasons that I am thrilled to be lending my support to a campaign that champions small businesses."
American Express, founder of Small Business Saturday in the U.S. and supporter of the grassroots campaign in the UK, commissioned the trio to use their talents to shine the spotlight on unsung heroes of the high street.
Ms Greensmith has produced a film called SATURDAY which shows a day in the life of three small independent shops including a fishmonger, clothes store owner, and bookshop owner.
She said: "Small businesses are an essential part of the local community, not only providing a personally selected offering for their customers, but also as a place where local people can simply meet up, catch up and feel looked after.
"In SATURDAY I set out to capture and celebrate the unique role small businesses play in our lives and hope the film inspires the public to shop small on Small Business Saturday."
Miss Lowe who has picked up some of her most treasured outfits from small boutiques, added: I’m normally asked to model for big brands, but I jumped at the chance to be involved in Small Business Saturday and show my support for small, independent businesses too."
SATURDAY can be watched at amexshopsmall.co.uk
