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A Chanel billboard featuring the actor and model Timothée Chalamet near Thomas Street, Manchester. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Manchester is known for many things: football, music, its reliably terrible weather. A top-secret luxury fashion event: not so much. No wonder many local people refuse to believe the rumours that Chanel had chosen the city as the location for Métiers d'Art, its annual luxury fashion show.

Bucket hats and cagoules, yes. Couture, non. But, sacrebleu, the rumours are true. Next week, the French fashion house will turn a "dingy" street in Manchester's Northern Quarter into a catwalk.

Some object to a private company taking over a public space, shutting out local people. Others like the idea of a bit of Parisian sparkle under Manchester's murky skies.

Explaining the decision to stage the show in Manchester, Bruno Pavlovsky, the president of fashion at Chanel, said the city was "audacious and interesting", with the Northern Quarter home to many independent designers and businesses.

Chanel's Métiers d'Art will be held in the city on 7 December. The opulent annual event, which was held last year in Dakar, Senegal, aims to embrace the workmanship and artistry of the various ateliers and artisans (known as métiers d'art) that work with the fashion house.

These ateliers specialise in crafts such as embroidery, featherwork, and shoemaking.
Manchester
Thomas Street, where the event will be held, has been dominated by metal constructions and scaffolding since 17 November, as builders transform the residential road into a scenic greenhouse with a roof to protect models from the Mancunian weather.

The roof has become a particular hit with some who live near the Northern Quarter, with many wondering whether it would be a permanent feature.

Lee Butterley, 43, who lives nearby, would like to see this put into action. "The Northern Quarter has loads of great bars, and it rains so much, it would be nice to sit outside all year through without getting wet; it's a win-win for customers and businesses who would be able to accommodate more covers," he said.

Not everyone is happy with the couturier's choice of location. Hayley Flynn, a tour guide, said she should receive compensation as the show would cause disruption to her tours.

"If you're in charge of major events that restrict access to streets and pay out business-disruption fees to venues, you should also spend some time researching more transient businesses you are disrupting and compensate them, too," she said.

Local people express confusion and joy as French fashion house turns 'dingy' street in Northern Quarter into a catwalk

Flynn said for the past nine days most of her tours had been refused entry. "The event marshals told me they can't give me a schedule of when the route will be accessible; cultural quarters should support small cultural businesses," she added.

"It's easier at this point to not run any tours during the month they are here, as I can't rearrange childcare last minute or expect customers to rearrange either. But I can't stop working for a month."

The show, which is expected to attract celebrities from around the world, is a private event and details are scarce. Many local businesses have signed agreements with the council about the duration of shop closures and reimbursements for profits lost.

A glass roof is erected to protect models from the Mancunian weather. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Manchester city council said the event was closed to the public and declined to provide further details when contacted about the financial agreements made with Chanel and what appropriate arrangements had been made to accommodate disruption.

Other people who live around the Northern Quarter have differing views on the event, with some surprised at the location choice. Chloe Maylor, 29, a photographer from Manchester, said: "I think it's quite a positive thing, although it's weird having the show on such a dingy street in the Northern Quarter."

Molly Carson, 25, and her mother, Jacqueline Carson, 59, have opposing views about the show, with Molly viewing it as a disingenuous stunt from the fashion brand.

She said: "I was actually in London when Burberry took over Bond Street and it must be a trend, they are just shutting down the area for aesthetics they know nothing about. I bet the council will make a profit, though."

The disruption and road closures have been a source of irritation for some local people. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
It's weird having the show on such a dingy street in the Northern Quarter
Jacqueline, however, believed the show would put Manchester on the map. "The fact that such a prestigious brand are holding their show here is massive. I mean, it's not Primani [Primark] so, in my view, it's a very good thing."

A letter sent to local people and business owners from Thomas Street's events team has been shared on X about the disruption caused. It said: "We are working with people across the city to produce this event that celebrates Manchester and its culture.

"As this event may cause some disruption, including closures of specific areas and local shops, our primary objective is to engage with the local community and minimize any inconvenience."

Chanel did not respond to a request for comment.

* This article was amended on 5 December 2023 to correct the surname of Lee Butterley.

Thomas Street's events team has told local people and business owners the Chanel show will celebrate Manchester and its culture. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

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'It's weird': mixed reactions as top secret Chanel show heads to Manchester

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Local people express confusion and joy as French fashion house turns 'dingy' street in Northern Quarter into a catwalk

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Chanel's eagerly anticipated Métiers d'Art 2023-24 collection payed homage to British fashion and culture with a vibrant show in Manchester.

Located on Thomas Street, in the heart of the northern quarter, the pavement was transformed into a runway with an urban backdrop featuring the iconic Bay Horse Tavern, coffee shops and a tattoo parlour.

But it hasn't been without controversy, as business owners and residents in Thomas Street have expressed concerns about the disruption caused by the show in the lead-up to the big event.

The collection was intended to highlight Chanel's longstanding connection with Britain through colourful tweed and Shetland knits - even a tea caddy-shaped bag made an appearance.

Established by Karl Lagerfeld in 2002, the annual presentation showcases the expertise of artisans and craftsmen, as well as the chosen city it takes place in.

Chanel's creative director, Virginie Viard, embraced the energy of the bustling city, saying: 'For me, Manchester is the city of music. It incites creation.'

Coco Chanel frequently visited England during her decade-long love affair with Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster - and spent time at his residences in Cheshire and Scotland.

The Duke, who was one of the wealthiest men in Britain, is said to have inspired Chanel's clothing designs from the period, most notably her tweed collection.

'Tweed is central to this collection. I thought a lot about Gabrielle Chanel but I didn't want to recreate Coco's look, when she was wearing the Duke of Westminster's jackets,' Viard explained.

'I took my cue from the Coco who brought colour to her tweeds. I added a vibrant, pop spirit to them.'

Today, the textured fabric, made famous in the 1950s, is synonymous with the French luxury fashion house, appearing in every collection without exception.

So it seems unsurprising that tweed reigned supreme in the Métiers d'Art 2023-24 line, encompassing a range of dresses, skirt suits and coats.

The house codes were revived in a rainbow palette of fuchsia, orange, lemon and apple green that delighted some 600 guests.

There were also striking Shetland knitted dresses, smart Bermuda shorts and wraparound skirts, reminiscent of post-war Britain.

Elsewhere, floral embroidery and teapot motifs - one notably adorning a caddy-shaped bag - juxtaposed quilted leather co-ords and sequinned mini dresses, embodying the street style of Manchester.

Each look was completed with Mary Jane shoes, delicately embellished with golden buttons, pearls and blooms. The timeless silhouette, which became popular in the 1920s, can be traced as far back as King Henry VIII.

Additionally, Chanel's sought-after bags were updated with shimmering monochrome finishes.

Founded by Karl Lagerfeld in 2002, Métiers d'Art was created to showcase the expertise of artisans and craftsmen, as well as the chosen city it takes place in.

The choice to display this year's collection in Britain's 'Warehouse City' followed presentations in Tokyo and Dakar - all designed by creative director, Virginie Viard. Peter Saville, renowned for creating record sleeves for Manchester-based Factory Records, designed the show's branding.

While colorful tweed was at the heart of the collection, detailing also played an important role: clothes were embellished with feathers, chains, and even vinyl records, offering a nod to the cultural heritage of the city.

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Chanel pays homage to British fashion with colourful Manchester show

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Chanel's eagerly anticipated Métiers d'Art 2023-24 collection payed homage to British Fashion with a vibrant show that took pace on Thomas Street, Manchester, yesterday.

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Clothes aren't a luxury for some. Homeless charity Lifeshare urge the public to donate clothes on the same day as the Chanel fashion show.

On December 7 th, Chanel's annual Metiers D'Art Show filled the streets of Manchester's Northern Quarter. It's the first time a fashion powerhouse has held a show like this in the city, and it's creating quite a buzz. In fact, it got the team at Meanwhile talking... not about haute couture, but instead, the homeless crisis across the city.

At least 1 in 74 people are homeless in Manchester*-that's 7,400 people sleeping rough. And for them, clothes aren't a luxury, they're a necessity.

Just a 5-minute walk from Chanel's fashion show are the offices of Manchester's oldest homeless charity, Lifeshare.

Meanwhile reached out to Lifeshare with an idea for a new campaign: to create a different kind of collection dedicated to tackling clothing poverty.

The A/W23 Collection by Lifeshare, launched by Maxine Peake on BBC Breakfast, encourages people to donate their own clothes to help keep the most vulnerable warm this winter. The tactical campaign gives street fashion a whole new meaning.

Commenting on the initiative, Rachel Miles, creative director at Meanwhile said: "With the rich and famous in town for the Chanel fashion show, we spotted an opportunity to help those who can't afford to buy clothes, let alone high fashion. Our mission was to raise awareness around the homelessness crisis in Manchester whilst we had the world's attention. We're creating a collection of clothes that don't cost thousands but help thousands".

To bring the campaign to life, pre-donated clothes have been photographed by British fashion and portrait photographer, Rankin. Over the years, Rankin has captured an array of fashion megastars including Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner, and Winnie Harlow. And his works have appeared on the covers of Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, and many more influential fashion magazines.

Meanwhile are throwing a handful of marketing tactics at the campaign. The team have created a series of posters to be strategically positioned in the Northern Quarter, as well as a tactically placed D6, and locals can also look out for the campaign wrapped around the Metro on December 7 th.

Manchester's influencer community have also been invited to help spread the word on social.

Demand for clothing has risen 158% in the past year, according to Lifeshare. Clothing donations for its A/W23 collection can be taken to 27 Houldsworth St in Manchester's Northern Quarter on December 7 th and 12 th. The charity are welcoming coats, waterproofs, leggings, joggers, socks, and new boxers. Those unable to attend can donate at the Lifeshare website.

*SOURCE: Shelter

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As Chanel's Metiers D'Art Show takes place in Manchester, homeless charity Lifeshare launches its own collection...

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Creative agency Meanwhile joins forces with Rankin and Manchester's oldest homeless charity with the message that clothes for some aren't a luxury, they're a necessity

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Chanel celebrates the ‘Northern Girl’ in Manchester

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The Métier d’Arts show was an immersion in pop culture and English rain.

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The collection is typically Chanel cut by the world of underground musical cultures. "For me, Manchester is the city of music, it is a city in turmoil where you perceive the creative spirit, which helps you to invent, to imagine." Thus, in a clash of ideas, the world of the maison meets that of music with sporting accents inspired by football culture but also bucolic notes borrowed from the British moors to celebrate the marriage between the double C and England, a liaison that has lasted for over a century.

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Chanel Lights Up Manchester With Tweed and Music For Métiers d’Art

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Discover the Chanel Métiers d’Art 2023/24 fashion show by Virginie Viard in Manchester on L’OFFICIEL Italia.

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Manchester was chosen because it is considered one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands have changed the history of music. The event was planned to underscore the brand’s ability to connect with diverse demographics and to foster a meaningful and inclusive luxury experience

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Manchester was chosen because it is considered one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands have changed the history of music. The event was planned to underscore the brand’s ability to connect with diverse demographics and to foster a meaningful and inclusive luxury experience

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. The choice of Manchester was also influenced by the city's audacious and interesting nature, with the Northern Quarter being home to many independent designers and businesses

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Style

We can stop making jokes and start feeling proud now.
Even though it's been the talk of the town for months, it feels weird to write that Chanel is bringing one of its prestigious fashion shows to Manchester - and now they've explained why our city was chosen.
Chanel will be the first major luxury fashion house to show in Manchester, which is a pretty huge deal.

They're building a pretty huge structure to host the show in too, with a long covered catwalk taking shape in the Northern Quarter as we speak.

The world's most famous designer brand will be using Thomas Street to showcase its prestigious Métiers d'art show, which has previously taken place in settings like a pontoon moored in Shanghai's Huangpu river and a lavish banquet setting in a Parisian palace.

Plenty of us have made jokes about Jennifer Lawrence in Terrace, Timothee Chalamet grabbing lunch at This n That, or Kim Kardashian doing sambuca shots in Cane & Grain - but now that Chanel has explained its reasons for choosing Manchester, we're feeling pretty proud.

The brand explained today that 'creative dialogue is at the heart of every Métiers d'art collection' and that the show connects 'artists and friends of the House, cities and cultures'.

It then stated: "CHANEL has chosen to present the 2023/24 Métiers d'art show in Manchester, one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music."

Chanel also confirmed that the poster that's being used was designed by the legendary Manc Peter Saville.

They even chose a New Order song to soundtrack the first promotional video to be released about the show this Thursday.

Early rehearsals are beginning in town today with music blasting across the Northern Quarter along with lighting tests, and what appears to be a red carpet walkway being built.

The brand's Instagram page has now been flooded with excited messages from fans, with one writing: "ITS ACTUALLY HAPPENING! In OUR city!!!!!!!!"

Someone else commented: "Manny on the map."

Chanel's full statement read: "Creative dialogue is at the heart of every CHANEL Métiers d'art collection. It lies within the work between Artistic Director of the Fashion collections Virginie Viard, the ateliers at rue Cambon, the Maisons d'art at 𝘭𝘦19M, and connects artists and friends of the House, cities and cultures, season after season.

"CHANEL has chosen to present the 2023/24 Métiers d'art show in Manchester, one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music.

"The film of the show will be revealed on Friday, December 8th 2023 at 9am Manchester time, 10am Paris time.

"'MCR' designed by artist Peter Saville on the occasion of the show."

Now all we're gagging to know about is which famous faces will be gracing the front row.

Read more
Featured image: The Manc Group

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Chanel addresses why Manchester has been chosen for its prestigious fashion show

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Chanel is bringing one of its prestigious fashion shows to Manchester - and now they've explained why our city was chosen.

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The French luxury fashion house staged a couture coup of the city for its annual celebration of the brand's specialist artisans - whose savoir-faire yields that classic Chanel-level craftsmanship

It was a quintessentially rainy night in Manchester on Thursday. The city centre was swarming with shoppers in the typical run-up-to-Christmas frenzy.

However, just metres away on a usually unassuming street in the city's Northern Quarter was a different kind of hysteria. A Chanel-induced one. Lights, cameras, and a street-setting? One may think its a Coronation Street episode being filmed on-location - but alas, we'll settle for Chanel.

Hugh Grant, Tilda Swinton, and Lucy Boynton were amongst the global A-Listers in attendance. Alongside them were the sons of Manc legend Liam Gallagher - Lennon and Gene, and Chanel's resident ambassador, Kristen Stewart.

A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said they're "thrilled" Manchester was chosen. "It's a fantastic homage to the city's past, present and future and speaks volumes about the regard in which Manchester is held across the world," they added.

"We're working closely with Chanel to support them in the logistics of their event and in ensuring it is a success, both for Chanel and for the city."

A venue that embodies the city

Thomas Street, known for its amalgam of al-fresco bars and independent boutiques was chosen as the venue.

The road was transformed into a catwalk with a glass-roofed canopy built specially for the occasion. This was presumably to anticipate the need for shelter from the almost guaranteed chance of a northern downpour.

At the start of the road, a monochrome mural was emblazoned on the wall. Equal parts Mancunian grit and Parisian chic.

The mise-en-scène was a street-scene - staying true to life. Models entered the runway through the remaining outer walls of the old Wholesale Fish Market. The imposing romanesque-style façade with its wrought iron gates made it far more glamorous than it sounds.

Dozens of patio heaters then lined and lit the runway in a quasi-gothic fashion. Fashion's typically sleek benches were swapped for gritty wooden bistro tables and barstools, borrowed from local boozers and used as the seating for the show's VIP guests.

The only thing missing was a spilt vodka coke, and the whiff of a blue raspberry-flavoured vape.

"It looks like someone's gonna have an all-dayer, a day-sesh," says Steven Pankhurst, invitee and founder of Manchester's Finest - an online hub dedicated to all things MCR.

"The aesthetic they've gone for is a catwalk in the street. It's not as polished, [it's] quite raw and that's what Manchester is about."

Pankhurst describes the Northern Quarter as Manchester's "creative hub [...] When you walk the streets... you see the people who are making the city what it is," he adds. He believes the area is microcosmic for the city's enduring creativity.

The locational decision was initially met with confusion amongst Mancunians, who thought the city's new £240 million arts centre, Aviva Studios, was the perfect place to hold such a salubrious event. However, it seems Chanel sought to focus more on Manchester's cultural heritage, specifically the city's long-standing relationship with music.

A celebration of Manchester's pop culture heritage

Described by Chanel as a "creative dialogue," the Métiers d'Art collection blurs the line between couture and ready-to-wear. Giving voice to the unheard conversation between Artistic Director Virginie Viard and the brand's craftspeople, the clothing shown seeks to highlight the sheer skill of all involved.

But that wasn't the only tête-a-tête presented, a clear symbiosis between music and fashion was also on display.

In a statement by the brand, this choice is made clear. "Manchester [is] one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music."

From Joy Division to Oasis, The Stone Roses to Take That, Manchester's place on the music map is undisputed.

In anticipation of the show, the brand posted a video montage - courtesy of director Sofia Coppola - to its Instagram, showcasing Manchester's archetypal pop-culture contributions.

Flashes of rave scenes, images of The Suffragettes, and clips of football matches were collaged amongst pictures of the city's bricolage of architectural styles - underscored by the synth-pop stylings of New Order's classic dance track Blue Monday.

The band, hailing from the city, were the flagship group of Manchester-based record label Factory Records and its famed nightclub, The Haçienda.

Peter Saville, graphic designer and co-founder of the record label, collaborated with the fashion house to design the show's neon-orange 'MCR' logo as well as the invitation artwork.

He was the one responsible for The Haçienda's iconic black and yellow hazard stripes - which also featured heavily in the show's promotional imagery. They were even reproduced onto the brand's distinctive 'CC' logo.

The pre-show content, in all its sensorially Mancunian design, sowed - rather, sewed - the seeds of what was to come.

Music was the beating heart of the collection

"Manchester is the city of music. In incites to creation," explains Virginie Viard. One ensemble, a strapless black sequinned mini-dress featured a bodice that was encrusted to resemble vinyl records.

The show's soundtrack paid homage to Manc legends, but also to other Northern artists. Cilla Black's Anyone Who Had a Heart and Soft Cell's Tainted Love - amongst others - pounded through outdoor speakers, transporting the audience to the soundscape of an 80s rave night.

Saville is also a curator of a new exhibition titled 'Manchestermodern: past present future,' launching today at Victoria Baths, the venue of the show's afterparty. The exhibition, supported by Chanel, seeks to give new insight into the rich creative history of the city by blending artists from various fields.

Chanel lives outside of time

The show was a coalescence of eras, styles, and textiles. 60s-inspired tweed skirt-suits and coatdresses were shown in a vibrant array of colours described by the brand as a "shimmering pop palette".

The colour palette was experimental and trans-seasonal, infusing the brand's identity with a pop sensibility. "I took my cue from the Coco [Chanel] who brought colour to her tweeds. I added a vibrant pop spirit to them," says Viard. Rusty autumnal tones were followed by fresh sky blues and apple greens, showing tweed is in all year round.

Texturally, the same applies. Jeans and Bermuda shorts preceded cashmere knits and wooly scarfs. The show seemingly dressed for all British occasions. From a walk in a National Trust garden, to a night-out on the town, all bases were covered. The brand explains that this was intentional, "investing domains as varied as football, Manchester's music scene, or the English countryside".

A handful of looks were playfully paired with headpieces that created the illusion of a Gallagher-esque Caesar mod haircut.

A sage green shirt accompanied by a frilled shoulder, was layered with an apron dress - an apparent nod to Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst's own refined style.

Some ensembles were evocative of the mindset of the Suffragettes (dressing conventionally feminine to make their cause more palatable). Chanel hints at this, describing the collection as invoking "a soft yet audacious femininity," emphasised through colour, silhouette, embellishment and attitude.

At one point, the timeline fast-forwarded to the the punk-era. Chanel house codes were subverted through a British lens. "Instead of a rock look, the Artistic Director is focussing on the poetry of emotions with a dash of the sixties," explains the brand.

Shiny black leather was trimmed with fur, or quilted in the style of the Classic Flap Bag - anachronistically paired with a Victorian-style scallop-edged blouse.

In a more on-the-nose nod to Britain, delicately embroidered appliqués of tea pots, cups and saucers were added to a sheer black top.

A love-letter to Manchester's past, without leaving the present day

Some may say that missing was acknowledgement of modern-day Manchester. However Chanel's deliberate pairing of different domains of time is a definite ode to Manchester's sartorial miscellany today. Not to mention that the vintage-feel goes hand-in-hand with the Northern Quarter's prominent sprawl of thrift shops.

The trans-seasonal approach to colour and silhouette also brings to mind that Mancunian spirit of dressing to impress, regardless of the weather. Mini-dress on a night out in December with no coat? It's more likely than you think in the north.

Manchester's historically tenacious grip on music is still felt by its inhabitants. "Manchester is a basis of a music culture that has changed the face of the world," says Viard. "Today it is the meeting point for all those who identify with it." The collection wasn't a stylistic imitation of the past, but instead a vehement materialisation of the eternal buzz for the city's heritage that endures in all Mancunians today.

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"The city of music:" Chanel brings Mètiers d'Art show to Manchester - Shift London

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The French luxury fashion house staged a couture coup of the city for its annual celebration of the brand's specialist artisans - whose savoir-faire yields that classic Chanel-level craftsmanship

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Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, spoke about finding inspiration in Manchester’s energy.

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Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, spoke about finding inspiration in Manchester’s energy.

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https://www.cnn.com/style/chanel-manchester-fashion-show/index.html

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Chanel just took over this surprising English city for its latest show | CNN

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On a rainy Thursday night in December, to the surprise of both fashion insiders and members of the public, the French fashion house descended on England’s third most populated city for its latest Métiers d’Art event.

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Manchester is one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music.

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https://ilovemanchester.com/chanel-metiers-dart-manchester-economic-impact

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“It’s a clear signal Manchester is the place to be” How Chanel’s fashion show will benefit Manchester’s economy

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Chanel’s Métiers d’Art showcase in Manchester intertwined fashion and economic growth, showcasing the city’s potential as a global hub beyond its traditional industrial identity.

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The Madchester look (the term was coined by Tony Wilson, the owner of Factory Records, who signed the Happy Mondays; Michael Winterbottom's film 24 Hour Party People tells the story) was "baggy". Part football fan, part hippie, it comprised flared or oversized jeans (preferably by Manchester's own baggy denim label, Joe Bloggs), a long-sleeved white T-shirt, Kickers shoes or Adidas shell-toes and possibly a bucket hat. Manchester even had its own legendary T-shirt bearing the slogan, "On The Sixth Day God Created Manchester", created by Leo Stanley, founder of the local fashion label, Identity. "That T-shirt went mental," Stanley told The Guardian in 2012. "Someone sent me a photograph from a French magazine of Jean-Paul Gaultier and Madonna at a party, both wearing 'On the Sixth Day' T-shirts."

The baggy look was immortalised by the crowd who went to the Stone Roses Spike Island concert in 1990, but in the Hacienda and the so-called "designer" bars that buzzed in the city at that time, there was more sophisticated style. People were more likely to be seen in head-to-toe designer Lycra catsuits and bodysuits and denim by Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood, alongside '80s favourites Bodymap, John Richmond and Katharine Hamnett. The love of designer fashion has always been present.

Madchester was a short period of time, but its legacy lived on. Musically, it influenced the indie tone of the rest of the '90s and the Brit-pop era, in which the Mancunian Gallagher brothers played their own unforgettable part, none of which would have happened without Madchester.

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"On The Sixth Day God Created Manchester": How One Northern City Shaped Fashion

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Without "Madchester", style pop culture would look different, finds Kate Finnigan ahead of the Chanel show in the city.

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As the centre of the cotton industry in the 19th century, Manchester made the textiles that dressed the world. That brought it a huge amount of wealth, a strong identification with apparel and a swaggering demeanour that it has never lost.

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The £8m economic impact is a welcome boost across accommodation, restaurants, and attractions, and demonstrates the importance of global events in the city.

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Manchester's history as 'Cottonpolis' is an important factor in the city having such a strong number of fashion brands based there (Dr. Gordon Fletcher, retail expert at the University of Salford Business School)

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(Image: Brand PR)

Some of the largest fashion brands in the world call Greater Manchester their home. Major labels such as Boohoo, N Brown and Missguided have their headquarters in the city as well as JD Sports, In The Style and Sosandar.

Together they provide jobs for thousands of people locally and across the country as well as contributing significantly to the economy. Manchester is also where the head offices of PrettyLittleThing, I Saw It First and The Couture Club are located.

But why is it that this city is such a hub for these brands?
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A large number have been founded in the region and gone on to worldwide success while others, like Castore, have relocated their headquarters to the area.

The Manchester Evening News has spoken to experts from the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Alliance Manchester Business School and the University of Salford Business School to find out why the city region boasts such a strong fashion retail industry.

Chris Fletcher, the policy and campaigns director at the chamber, argues that Greater Manchester's history might help to explain why.

He said its legacy of cotton manufacturing helped lay the foundations for the strength of its fashion industry in the modern day.

Mr Fletcher said: "There's an interesting coming together of history and new business models that may go some of the way to explaining why Greater Manchester is a major hub for fashion brands.

"Manchester is steeped in and some would say built on the legacy from cotton manufacturing and when you look at great historical landmark buildings like the Royal Exchange you get a sense of how dominant the city was in the world of textile manufacture.

"These days the commercial aspect of this very much revolves more around the finished product and the huge growth that Manchester has seen in digital and e-commerce expertise in particular, rather than the raw material itself.

"Businesses naturally cluster so it's no surprise that we see many household fashion brands making Manchester their home.

"There may well be a nod to the past somewhere in this but it's also definitely building on the digital powerhouse that Manchester has become."

Dr Heiner Evanschitzky, professor of marketing at Alliance Manchester Business School, also says that the city's legacy has helped to attract a large talent pool which has driven the industry's growth.

He adds however that there remains a risk that some of the city's largest businesses could choose to move their headquarters at any time which would pose a "significant risk for the region in the long term".

He said: "Manchester is an attractive location for fashion retail because of its longstanding tradition as an industry hub.

"This legacy has drawn a large pool of talented and creative people with relevant management skills to the city, which has in turn driven growth.

"In the main, fashion retailers are global brands. They can be run from Manchester because there is a strong domestic market here with significant experience in running international supply chains, and a critical mass of similar companies.

"But as global businesses, there remains the possibility that they could choose to uproot headquarters at any time, posing a significant risk for the region in the long term.

"It is vital Manchester continues to play on its strengths and showcase its talent, capacity for trade and creativity.

"The city's network of educational institutions plays a central role in supporting this and providing skills for the next generation of fashion retailers."

Manchester's history as 'Cottonpolis' is an important factor in the city having such a strong number of fashion brands based there, Dr Gordon Fletcher, retail expert at the University of Salford Business School said.

He added that because 'Manchester' cloth was exported around the world, its global reputation was one of the reasons why the family who later went on to found Boohoo and Missguided came to the city.

He said: "Manchester's online fast fashion brands reflect the city's role as a meeting point. It is a meeting of old and new, the coming together of multiple cultures, a hub for business and even of weather and topography.

"Manchester's history as 'Cottonpolis' is an important factor even now in bringing the presence of fashion brands to the region.

"It was in the region that the imported raw cotton was turned into fabric through spinning and dyeing. The presence of much water power, persistent moisture to keep the cotton flexible and sloping hills conveniently pointing southwards towards the sun (for drying the dyed cloth) made the towns surrounding Manchester attractive locations for processing works.

"Warehouses, canals (and banks) centred on Manchester all helped to keep the wheels of commerce turning through the 19th and early 20th centuries."

Dr Fletcher added: "Businesses like N Brown - through its connections with the JD Williams brand - have their origins directly anchored in this heritage with operations centred around the Northern Quarter not far from the great warehousing area of Ancoats.

"Evidence of the region's economic success being founded on textiles can still be found all over the city region.

"The bees (of industriousness) and the ship (of trade and enterprise) on the city's coat of arms and the presence of materials, textiles and fashion departments in the region's universities all help to keep this link alive.

"As 'Manchester' cloth was exported around the world (and it is still possible to shop in Manchester departments in Australia and New Zealand shops for bedware) so too were people from around the world attracted to Manchester with opportunities for employment and a new life.

"The co-founder of Boohoo, Mahmud Kamani, came to Manchester with his family in the 1960s. They were escaping civil unrest in Kenya in the 1960s with Kamani's father working in a local market before starting a textile business. "Similarly, Nithin Passi of Missguided had a grandfather who moved from India in the 1960s and set up a knitwear factory in the region.

"With the region changing and moving on from its post-industrial downturn into a hub for the digital and creative technologies (helped by the success of brands such as Boohoo) sees the meeting of two worlds.

"As Manchester continues to develop into a leading city for digital technology one of the results is that it continues to be an attractive location for online fast fashion brands.

"Once the warehouses and mills were a drawcard for new textiles businesses now the skills and creativity in the region is an attraction for entrepreneurs trying to break into the challenging world of online fast fashion.

"Manchester now offers the combination of skills needed to create physical fashion items coupled with the social media and ecommerce skills that gets the message out to consumers."
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Experts reveal why Manchester has become such a hub for fashion brands

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A large number of brands have been founded in Manchester over the last two decades

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Manchester's online fast fashion brands reflect the city's role as a meeting point. It is a meeting of old and new, the coming together of multiple cultures, a hub for business and even of weather and topography.

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By Rachel Kevern

The historical centre of the UK's cotton industry is now home to some of the biggest names in fast fashion.

Cottonopolis, Manchester's nineteenth-century nickname, was born out of the city's dominant role in global textile manufacturing.

Manchester and its surrounding towns were once the largest and most productive cotton spinning centres in the world.

Today, the city is once again one of the UK's most important style hubs. Now, however, its famous cotton mills have given way to the gleaming HQs of some of the world's most lucrative fast-fashion brands.

Fashion at COP26

COP26 saw 130 top fashion brands pledge to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The pledge - which was supported by major brands including Burberry, H&M, and Nike - aimed to tackle the environmental impacts of one of the world's most polluting industries.

The global sector was responsible for about 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 - comparable to combined emissions of France, Germany and the UK, according to McKinsey.

COP26, which took place in Glasgow between 31 October and 13 November 2021, brought parties together from around the world to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Under the new UN Fashion Charter agreement revealed at COP26, signatories committed to a decarbonization plan aligned with Paris Agreement ambitions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The updated Charter also includes a commitment to sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources and phasing out coal from the supply chain by 2030, and using environmentally friendly raw materials.

Despite 130 companies signing up to the pledge, reports suggest the wider industry will fall well short of emissions goals based on its current trajectory.

Signatories to the updated fashion charter represent just a small fraction of the vast clothing and footwear industry.

Many major fast-fashion brands, including Manchester-based Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing, were entirely absent from COP debates.

What's the big deal with fast fashion?

The fashion industry emits approximately the same quantity of greenhouse gases per year as the entire economies of France, Germany, and the UK combined.

In 2019, the UK government published a full report into the sustainability of the fashion industry.

In it, both Boohoo and Missguided were used to exemplify the term 'fast fashion', described in the report as being defined by 'overproduction and overconsumption'.

Along with ASOS, these Manchester-based brands were named as fuelling an 'unsustainable' mode of consumption, which 'contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined, consumes lake-sized volumes of fresh water and creates chemical and plastic pollution.'

The report also noted that the UK population buys more clothes per person than any other country in Europe - and around 300,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in household black bins every year.

'Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing at the end of its life. Meanwhile, retailers are burning new unsold stock merely to preserve their brand.'
House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee Report 2019

Twenty percent of industrial water pollution annually is the result of fabric production, and 35% of ocean microplastic pollution found on coastlines around the world comes from synthetic textiles.

Despite the updated fashion charter, clothing consumption is expected to rise by 63% by 2030 to a total of 102million tonnes.

At the same time, 25% of fast-fashion garments remain unsold, while the average number of times a garment is worn before it's discarded has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago.

Dr Patsy Perry, a Reader in Fashion Marketing and Academic Lead for International at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, said:

'By definition, fast fashion is cheaply manufactured, on-trend clothing which enables consumers to frequently update their wardrobe and is not designed to be worn for any great length of time.'

Online retailers have been able to capitalise on social media to push their products onto a far-reaching receptive audience.

'We spend so much time online now on social media and it's addictive to keep scrolling and thinking, "Oh god, I need to be wearing this, I need to be wearing that",' said Perry.

'What you're seeing a lot of the time is an endless array of brand new outfits. There aren't a great deal of people showing how to rework what you've already got in your wardrobe, how to restyle things, how to swap and share and so on.

'Generally it's about, "buy this shiny new thing". There's not much of an alternative voice to get inspired by.'

"The UK is the epicentre of fast fashion in Europe, with each person buying an estimated 26.7kg of clothing every year, compared to an average 15.6kg for people across Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden."
Greenpeace Unearthed

As well as damaging the planet, fast-fashion brands frequently fail to ensure humane working conditions and a liveable wage for the people making their clothes.

The famously low prices of brands such as Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing come at a very real human cost.

An investigation by The Guardian last year found that garment workers in Boohoo's Pakistani factories faced appalling conditions and earnt as little as 29p an hour.

According to the report, workers at two factories in Faisalabad claimed they were paid 10,000PKR (£47) a month, well below the legal monthly minimum wage for unskilled labour of 17,500PKR, while making clothes to be sold by Boohoo.

This kind of human resource exploitation throughout the supply chain is a fundamental part of the fast-fashion business model, allowing retailers to stock huge quantities of cheaply-manufactured clothing at pocket money prices.

A quick visit to the online stores of Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing (owned by the Boohoo Group), and Missguided highlights the predominance of extremely low price tags.

When sorting dresses by price (low to high) on the Boohoo website, the first 657 styles displayed would set you back less than £5 each - with the cheapest dresses costing just £1.

The cheapest dress on the Missguided website was £1.60 at the time of writing, while you could get your hands on a PrettyLittleThing dress for £2.50.

When it's possible to purchase a brand new outfit for the price of a cup of coffee, it's easy for consumers to buy into a throwaway fashion culture.

Perry said: 'Consumer mindsets need to change, and not be always chasing the shiny new thing, but celebrating longevity and choosing carefully and buying what you really love.

'And brands need to support us with that, and offer us good quality things that we're going to fall in love with and want to keep wearing for longer, or at least things that can have a second life with someone else.'

A look at Manchester

More than two centuries since Manchester established itself as the centre of the world's cotton trade, the city is once again at the heart of global fashion production.

Manchester has become home to some of the world's leading online fast-fashion brands. According to a recent report, Manchester is at the forefront of the UK e-commerce industry, with more than 3,000 e-commerce and related companies based in the city.

The Boohoo Group, a company that has become a dominant force in fast fashion over the past decade, was founded in the heart of Manchester's historic textile district in 2006.

Boohoo sales grew by 41% over lockdown, with profits hitting £124.7million. Revenues rose from £1.23billion to £1.74billion in the year to February 2021.

The UK market is the largest for the group, accounting for over half of its revenue.

Perry said she wasn't surprised by the amount of clothes sold during the UK's lockdowns.

'We were all pretty miserable, we were just looking for anything to cheer ourselves up with,' she said.

'It's kind of like the lipstick effect - in a recession, people buy lipstick. It's a little thing that cheers you up and makes you feel better.

'Clothing is so important for making us feel good. It brings that joy, fun, playfulness, and confidence into our lives.

'There are loads of wonderful things about fashion and these companies made themselves so accessible - they could read us and knew what we wanted at that time, and they offered it to us on a plate.'

Over the years, the Boohoo Group has expanded to become a fashion powerhouse - it now operates several major brands, including MissPap, PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, Warehouse, Oasis, Karen Millen, Coast, Burton, and Dorothy Perkins.

Boohoo HQ is in Manchester city centre, just a ten-minute walk from Piccadilly train station.

Perry explained that the framework for these kinds of retailers existed in Manchester long before the term 'fast fashion' was trending.

She said: 'They were based here historically and they tended to evolve from wholesalers. They already had a supply chain, and from there they decided to go into a direct-to-consumer model and develop a brand.

'Often they already had relationships with other trading partners, family connections and so on. So they had a really strong supply chain and they were able to deliver on that brand. And by going online, rather than opening up a network of shops, they had access to huge amounts of data.

'They're able to monitor, in real time, hour by hour, what people are looking for, and almost make that to order.'

This made them different from more traditional highstreet retailers, who didn't have access to the all-important demand data on a real-time basis, and would instead order things months in advance which may not be on-trend by the time it arrived at the shops on the ground.

Sustainable fashion in Manchester

While Manchester may be known for its mass-production of fast fashion, a number of independent retailers and 'slow-fashion' pioneers across the city are leading the fight for a more sustainable future.

The Northern Quarter is a mecca for vintage lovers, while Manchester brands like Beaumont Organic, Phloem, and NEMCEE are prioritising sustainability by focusing on local production, high-quality eco-friendly materials, and making clothing that lasts.

The team at NEMCEE spell it out in their NEMCEE Manifesto, which states:
'There are no excuses anymore - there are alternative ways of working. We intend to be part of a community of makers that are doing things differently, with the hope that it isn't always what makes us different.

We use ethical fabrics and manufacturing methods as an authentic choice and a point of differentiation, in the hope that ethical fabrics and manufacture start becoming the norm.

We want to be part of the change, and for it to no longer be normal to screw people over along the entirety of the supply chain to gain a few pennies more in profit.'
The city's 'slow-fashion' brands are growing in popularity and gaining attention at sustainable markets such as those hosted by Hatch, a pop-up destination in the city centre featuring independent retailers, breweries, and restaurants.

On Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November 2021, Hatch presented the city's first ever sustainable Christmas market.

The event, aptly named 'Christmas Shouldn't Cost the Earth!', brought together over 25 independent, zero-waste stalls, aiming to make sustainability fun and accessible with affordably priced high-quality items.

This included a huge range of organic, ethically-made clothing from independent retailers across Manchester.

More than 8,000 people visited the market over the course of the weekend, stocking up on eco-friendly Christmas gifts while learning about the brands all across the city who are fighting for a more sustainable way of shopping.

Stitched Up

Stitched Up is just one of a host of not-for-profit community initiatives inspiring people from across Greater Manchester to take action on sustainable fashion.

SKILL UP: The group runs a sustainable clothing hub in Stretford Mall, where anyone can access a public programme of sewing, clothes making, mending and upcycling workshops for all ages and abilities.

RE-USE: By taking donations of textiles from individuals and businesses, the group prevents good fabric from ending up in landfill.

The materials are used in the group's workshops and made available for community re-use. Anything that's left over is recycled.

Monthly Clothes Swap events also help to gives clothes a second lease of life.

ENGAGE: The group hosts events and talks to help raise awareness of the ethical and environmental issues of the fast-fashion industry.

It also encourages people to actively engage with campaigns such as Fashion Revolution and Labour Behind the Label.

In conversation with Manchester Fashion Movement

Manchester Fashion Movement (MFM) is an ethical Community Interest Company (CIC) working 'to future-proof our world thru' fashion'.

The organisation was founded in 2020 by Camilla Cheung and Alison Carlin, who joined together on the shared desire to forge a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.

Alison is founder of the Sustainable Fashion Party and AllyPally Vintage. Camilla is founder of conceptual lifestyle brand, Wardrobe Wellbeing.

MFM's ambitious manifesto encourages us all to take responsibility - from holding brands accountable and urging transparency, to educating consumers about their buying choices.

We spoke to Alison about the future of the movement and how MFM is making a difference in Manchester and beyond.

For more information about MFM and its work, visit its Instagram here, its Twitter here, or its Linktree here.

You can sign up to the Orange Pages, MFM's newsletter where the team share stories from the community, inform about upcoming events, and support others to share their thoughts, here.

Website coming soon.

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Has Manchester become the fast-fashion capital of the UK?

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By Rachel Kevern The historical centre of the UK's cotton industry is now home to some of the biggest names in fast fashion. Cottonopolis, Manchester's nineteenth-century nickname, was born out of the city's dominant role in global textile manufacturing. Manchester and its surrounding towns were once the largest and most productive cotton spinning centres in the world.