“It comes out of subculture and terraces and nightlife rather than editorial pages”
For years, the fashion industry has been dominated by the same cities. London, Paris, Milan and New York have become synonymous with high fashion. But real trends move through scenes and subcultures in a wide range of places. They come from the people making things, wearing things and doing things differently. The Big Four may have the most celebrated Fashion Weeks, but fashion doesn’t start there. And it definitely doesn’t end there.
Manchester knows a thing or two about that.
This is a city built on the strength of its textile industry. On making. And a city with a history of doing things its own way. After a ten-year hiatus, Manchester Fashion Week returned in 2025 with a simple belief: the North of England can be a driving force in fashion again. Not by copying what already exists. By building on what has always been here. Championing the city’s rebellious spirit and blending the influences of Manchester’s distinct style.
Beyond putting clothes on a runway, Manchester Fashion Week has a bigger goal. Building a stronger industry by reconnecting manufacturing, education, innovation and culture. A more resilient industry is more than a glamourous week-long event. It needs relationships, new talent – and somewhere for that talent to go.
So while celebrating the style and cultural impact of the city, Manchester Fashion Week has returned to improve the infrastructure, connections of confidence of the North – and build something that lasts. By celebrating talent, inspiring collaboration and engaging both industry and locals in shaping the future of fashion.
In 2026, Manchester Fashion Week is set to have the biggest programme to date. The expanded event takes place across multiple city venues, from runway shows to industry talks. At a time when the UK is looking to unlock regional growth, and in a city which thrives when creativity and industry overlap. As MFW Co-Founders say, ‘this city has so much creative and industrial history, but fashion never quite got treated as part of that story the way music or sport did. Ourjob, is to change that’.
That change is already starting to take shape. The launch of The Northern Fashion Collective in 2026 pushes Manchester Fashion Week beyond one week in the calendar. Creating routes into fashion and manufacturing for hundreds of local young people. Connecting education with industry. Making sure opportunity doesn’t disappear once the lights go down. This is lasting impact.
With deep roots in garment manufacture, Manchester’s history has shaped the global fashion industry. Manchester Fashion Week is already giving the city the space, recognition and infrastructure to shape what comes next. The growing MFW ecosystem is ensuring that Manchester gets the credit it deserves on the global stage and enabling it to continue to grow.
And the city is starting to reclaim an identity that was there all along.
We spoke to the Co-Founders and organisers of MFW, Gemma Gratton & Hayley Shaw, about reconnecting the dots, celebrating overlooked creatives and building a fashion movement that belongs to Manchester.
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09.26 Manchester Fashion Week on building a fashion movement that belongs to the city
MANCHESTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CITY THAT MAKES THINGS — NOT JUST PRODUCTS, BUT IDEAS, MUSIC AND MOVEMENTS. WHERE DO YOU THINK FASHION FITS INTO THAT STORY TODAY?
Fashion is one of the oldest parts of Manchester’s history. This city was built on textiles, the making. And then everything that came after, the music, the subcultures, all of it had a look, a wardrobe. Fashion is underneath the music and the movements. Today, it’s about picking that thread back up deliberately, rather than treating fashion like something that only happens elsewhere and gets consumed here.
PEOPLE OFTEN TALK ABOUT FASHION AS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK OR MILAN. WHAT DO PEOPLE MISS WHEN THEY OVERLOOK MANCHESTER’S PLACE IN THAT CONVERSATION?
They miss where a lot of the incredible work happens. The “Big 4” are showcase cities, they’re built around grandeur and spectacle. Manchester’s relationship with fashion has always been more about production, about skill, about making rather than just selling. And there’s a different attitude to style here too, it’s not trend-led in the same way, it comes out of subculture and terraces and nightlife rather than editorial pages. That’s a real, distinct story, fashion doesn’t only exist in four cities.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT A FASHION WEEK IS EMBEDDED IN THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE?
Because otherwise it’s just another event that happens to be in Manchester, not an event that belongs to Manchester. Manchester Fashion Week is built around education, we’re having some really important conversations about necessary changes that need to be made in the industry. Those conversations need to have industry leaders and changemakers in the room. But if we’re only speaking to industry insiders, buyers & press, then residents have no reason to feel it’s theirs. That’s why we’re hosting multiple events the general public can attend too. Embedding it in the city means local designers and manufacturers see themselves reflected in it, and people who live here are also participants, not spectators.
Fashion is one of the oldest parts of Manchester’s history. This city was built on textiles, the making. And then everything that came after, the music, the subcultures, all of it had a look, a wardrobe. Fashion is underneath the music and the movements. Today, it’s about picking that thread back up deliberately, rather than treating fashion like something that only happens elsewhere and gets consumed here.
PEOPLE OFTEN TALK ABOUT FASHION AS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK OR MILAN. WHAT DO PEOPLE MISS WHEN THEY OVERLOOK MANCHESTER’S PLACE IN THAT CONVERSATION?
They miss where a lot of the incredible work happens. The “Big 4” are showcase cities, they’re built around grandeur and spectacle. Manchester’s relationship with fashion has always been more about production, about skill, about making rather than just selling. And there’s a different attitude to style here too, it’s not trend-led in the same way, it comes out of subculture and terraces and nightlife rather than editorial pages. That’s a real, distinct story, fashion doesn’t only exist in four cities.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT A FASHION WEEK IS EMBEDDED IN THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE?
Because otherwise it’s just another event that happens to be in Manchester, not an event that belongs to Manchester. Manchester Fashion Week is built around education, we’re having some really important conversations about necessary changes that need to be made in the industry. Those conversations need to have industry leaders and changemakers in the room. But if we’re only speaking to industry insiders, buyers & press, then residents have no reason to feel it’s theirs. That’s why we’re hosting multiple events the general public can attend too. Embedding it in the city means local designers and manufacturers see themselves reflected in it, and people who live here are also participants, not spectators.
WHAT DOES MANCHESTER LOOK LIKE WHEN IT’S AT ITS MOST STYLISH — NOT ON INSTAGRAM, BUT IN EVERYDAY LIFE?
Honestly, it’s in the small, unphotographed moments, how people dress for a night out in the Northern Quarter, what you see them wear on the high streets, and the terraces on a matchday. There’s a practicality to it, layered, a bit defiant, definitely not trying too hard. It’s style as attitude rather than styling for a camera. Manchester is a place where individual fashion and expression is very much accepted.
THIS YEAR MARKS THE LAUNCH OF NORTHERN FASHION COLLECTIVE. HOW DOES THIS NON-PROFIT ENSURE A LASTING IMPACT? WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR?
The North has substantial fashion, textile, creative, technological, educational and manufacturing capability, but the system is fragmented. Ideas, talent, technology, production, capital and markets do not consistently meet. The NFC’s role is to provide the connective infrastructure: discovering opportunities, matching partners and enabling promising opportunities.
THE NFC TALKS ABOUT RECONNECTING CULTURE, EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING. WHY DO THOSE WORLDS NEED EACH OTHER NOW MORE THAN EVER?
Because right now they’re mostly operating in silos. Culture and design gets attention, but manufacturing has become invisible, education isn’t necessarily preparing people for where the industry’s actually going, and technology, especially AI, is moving fast without those other three worlds properly in the room. The Northern Fashion Collective is about stitching that back together, right where is started here in Manchester.
WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT THAT MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK BECAME MORE THAN JUST A FEW DAYS IN THE CALENDAR?
Because a week creates a moment, but it doesn’t create momentum. Manchester Fashion Week is the platform and the stage to celebrate our designers and creatives that have long been underrepresented and overlooked; The Northern Fashion Collective is the year-round infrastructure behind creating opportunities.
Honestly, it’s in the small, unphotographed moments, how people dress for a night out in the Northern Quarter, what you see them wear on the high streets, and the terraces on a matchday. There’s a practicality to it, layered, a bit defiant, definitely not trying too hard. It’s style as attitude rather than styling for a camera. Manchester is a place where individual fashion and expression is very much accepted.
THIS YEAR MARKS THE LAUNCH OF NORTHERN FASHION COLLECTIVE. HOW DOES THIS NON-PROFIT ENSURE A LASTING IMPACT? WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR?
The North has substantial fashion, textile, creative, technological, educational and manufacturing capability, but the system is fragmented. Ideas, talent, technology, production, capital and markets do not consistently meet. The NFC’s role is to provide the connective infrastructure: discovering opportunities, matching partners and enabling promising opportunities.
THE NFC TALKS ABOUT RECONNECTING CULTURE, EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING. WHY DO THOSE WORLDS NEED EACH OTHER NOW MORE THAN EVER?
Because right now they’re mostly operating in silos. Culture and design gets attention, but manufacturing has become invisible, education isn’t necessarily preparing people for where the industry’s actually going, and technology, especially AI, is moving fast without those other three worlds properly in the room. The Northern Fashion Collective is about stitching that back together, right where is started here in Manchester.
WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT THAT MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK BECAME MORE THAN JUST A FEW DAYS IN THE CALENDAR?
Because a week creates a moment, but it doesn’t create momentum. Manchester Fashion Week is the platform and the stage to celebrate our designers and creatives that have long been underrepresented and overlooked; The Northern Fashion Collective is the year-round infrastructure behind creating opportunities.
THE NORTH BUILT MUCH OF THE MODERN FASHION INDUSTRY. DOES THIS FEEL LIKE A CHANCE TO RECLAIM SOMETHING THAT WAS ALWAYS PART OF MANCHESTER’S IDENTITY?
Absolutely. The North was the manufacturing engine of this industry for a very long time, and that’s almost been written out of the glossy, consumer-facing version of fashion’s story. This doesn’t feel like claiming something new, it feels like putting the record straight.
DO YOU THINK FASHION HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE PLACE IT COMES FROM? WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?
Yes, definitely. In practice that means local sourcing and manufacturing partnerships, real training and apprenticeship routes for young people, and using whatever platform you’ve got to talk about the issues that actually matter to the industry, not just put on a show. That’s why such a big part of our industry programme leads with education, we’re having the uncomfortable conversations. It’s about using the platform for substance, not just spectacle.
FASHION IS OFTEN REDUCED TO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE RUNWAY, BUT YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT AS A SYSTEM. WHAT DOES THAT WIDER PICTURE LOOK LIKE WHEN IT’S WORKING WELL FOR A CITY LIKE MANCHESTER?
The runway is just the visible 10%. Underneath that there’s manufacturing and supply chains, education and training routes, retail and small business, the creative industries, and now sustainability and technology infrastructure too. When it’s working well, all of those feed each other.
Absolutely. The North was the manufacturing engine of this industry for a very long time, and that’s almost been written out of the glossy, consumer-facing version of fashion’s story. This doesn’t feel like claiming something new, it feels like putting the record straight.
DO YOU THINK FASHION HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE PLACE IT COMES FROM? WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?
Yes, definitely. In practice that means local sourcing and manufacturing partnerships, real training and apprenticeship routes for young people, and using whatever platform you’ve got to talk about the issues that actually matter to the industry, not just put on a show. That’s why such a big part of our industry programme leads with education, we’re having the uncomfortable conversations. It’s about using the platform for substance, not just spectacle.
FASHION IS OFTEN REDUCED TO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE RUNWAY, BUT YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT AS A SYSTEM. WHAT DOES THAT WIDER PICTURE LOOK LIKE WHEN IT’S WORKING WELL FOR A CITY LIKE MANCHESTER?
The runway is just the visible 10%. Underneath that there’s manufacturing and supply chains, education and training routes, retail and small business, the creative industries, and now sustainability and technology infrastructure too. When it’s working well, all of those feed each other.
WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE IN MANCHESTER LOOK AT FASHION AS A CAREER, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU HOPE THEY SEE NOW THAT PERHAPS DIDN’T EXIST A FEW YEARS AGO?
Through the Northern Fashion Collective our goal is to create a solid pipeline. To create education and technology partnerships, visibility through our programmes, and career paths in technical roles, manufacturing, sustainability, business, not just design. And we hope they see that they don’t have to leave Manchester to get career opportunities.
IF MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK SUCCEEDS IN WHAT IT’S SETTING OUT TO DO OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS, WHAT WILL HAVE CHANGED, FOR BOTH THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND THE CITY ITSELF?
For the city, we want fashion to be recognised as a genuine local industry and economy, not just an annual event. For the industry, we want Manchester established as a real production and innovation hub in its own right, somewhere with a talent pipeline strong enough that people don’t feel like they have to move to London to build a career in fashion.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BRING POSTERS TO THE STREET FOR MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK?
It’s about visibility and ownership. Fashion week shouldn’t live entirely behind closed doors in industry-only spaces, putting it on the street says the audience is everyone who lives here.
Through the Northern Fashion Collective our goal is to create a solid pipeline. To create education and technology partnerships, visibility through our programmes, and career paths in technical roles, manufacturing, sustainability, business, not just design. And we hope they see that they don’t have to leave Manchester to get career opportunities.
IF MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK SUCCEEDS IN WHAT IT’S SETTING OUT TO DO OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS, WHAT WILL HAVE CHANGED, FOR BOTH THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND THE CITY ITSELF?
For the city, we want fashion to be recognised as a genuine local industry and economy, not just an annual event. For the industry, we want Manchester established as a real production and innovation hub in its own right, somewhere with a talent pipeline strong enough that people don’t feel like they have to move to London to build a career in fashion.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BRING POSTERS TO THE STREET FOR MANCHESTER FASHION WEEK?
It’s about visibility and ownership. Fashion week shouldn’t live entirely behind closed doors in industry-only spaces, putting it on the street says the audience is everyone who lives here.
