French luxury brand Chanel showcased its latest Metiers d’Art collection on Manchester’s Thomas Street, turning the road into a catwalk for the prestigious fashion show. The models and guests were protected from the pouring rain by a tall glass canopy erected over the road for the occasion. Actors Kristen Stewart, Hugh Grant, and Tilda Swinton were among the stars attending, as were director Sofia Coppola and models including Manchester’s Karen Elson.
Chanel was attracted to the city’s “creative energy” and musical history, according to director of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky. The show’s soundtrack included Manchester bands such as The Fall and New Order, with local rappers Aitch and Bugzy Malone also in attendance. The guest list also comprised authors, reality TV stars, and actors such as Jenna Coleman, Callum Scott Howells, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Lucy Boynton.
Chanel’s new collection focused on “the poetry of emotions with a dash of the sixties,” with “ideas of Great Britain” represented in “wraparound skirts, miniskirts with godets, Bermuda shorts, shirts, coat-dresses all featured in tweed, knitwear in Shetland and Cashmere.” The show also paid homage to Manchester’s famous footballing pedigree with one model wearing Chanel’s version of a Manchester City shirt, and another sporting a scarf in Manchester United colours.
Beforehand, a protester outside the event held a sign calling on the city council to “get your priorities sorted” amid concerns about public investment in luxury goods at the expense of essential services. However, Manchester City Council’s cabinet member for culture, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, defended the event, stating that it had “invested in the city” and would benefit the local economy.
This is not the first time Chanel has held its Metiers d’Art collection outside of Paris. The event has been staged in cities such as Rome, New York, Salzburg, and Dallas in the past, and was last held in the UK at Linlithgow Castle in Scotland in 2012
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