Chanel is coming to town and here’s all we know so far about the huge event, and the celebrities rumoured to be attending.
The cat is out of the bag, after weeks of strange goings on around Manchester’s Northern Quarter, including the construction of a huge roof, we now know Chanel will be bringing its Métiers d’Art show to our city.
Shrouded in secrecy over the past weeks, the iconic French luxury fashion house Chanel will showcase its new collection on a catwalk along Thomas Street and High Street on Thursday, December 7th.
Manchester’s Finest Group
The annual Métiers d’Art show will be Chanel’s first show in the UK in ten years. On why the luxury designer label chose Manchester for its upcoming show, Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, said the city is ‘audacious and interesting’.
Around 600 invite-only guests are expected to turn out including supermodels, celebrities, fashion editors, influencers and industry insiders.
It’s believed 400 of those will be VIPs with strong Manchester links including former Manchester United and England star David Beckham and his wife, Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.
Manchester’s Finest Group
These Chanel fashion shows usually choose a location that ties in with the theme of the collection which typically fuses art, fashion and culture in a show that is expected to last around 45 minutes.
Luxury hotels around the city are fully booked out in preparation for the huge event, attracting superstars in the world of showbiz and fashion from all around the world.
Many businesses located along the street of the catwalk have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) while the transformation has been taking place, and are set to close for three days.
Manchester’s Finest Group
Some local establishments in the area have accepted a sum of money to compensate for the disruption caused to business, with one reportedly being given around £47,000 to close for ‘a couple of weeks’ – as reported in the Manchester Evening News.
An ultra-exclusive after party has reportedly been planned to take place in the Grade-II listed building of Victoria Baths, with its stunning art nouveau stained-glass windows and tiled interior with unique features.
The website of the baths, located on Hathersage Road, doesn’t have any upcoming events listed – as the heritage building usually does.
Many Mancunians have asked for the Thomas Street roof structure to be left as a gift from Chanel to Manchester, as it will also help shelter people from typical Northern weather.
David Dixon / Geograph
For those who won’t be able to attend the event and are feeling a little left out, Chanel has now confirmed that the runway show will be released as a film for everyone to see. It will go live on Friday morning at 9am in the UK (10am in France).
The French designer shared an Instagram post stating: “The film of the show will be revealed on Friday, December 8th at 9am Manchester time, 10am Paris time.”
The Métiers d’Art Chanel show is a celebration of haute couture and a testament to Chanel’s dedication and contribution to fashion, known for its timeless elegance, and will showcase the hottest trends to come in the new season.
Fans across the city will be getting their hopes up of seeing the likes of Timothée Chalamet or one of the Kardashians – who are rumoured to be attending. We can’t wait to find out…