Cubitts taps Melanie Sykes to front new campaign shot in Manchester
Hot on the heels of opening its latest store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter last week, British eyewear brand Cubitts has today launched a campaign starring model and TV presenter Melanie Sykes.
A native of Manchester, it's Sykes' first modelling campaign since shaving her head amid her battle with alopecia, and it was photographed by fellow Mancunian Niall Hodson in the Northern Quarter and on the streets of Ashton-under-Lyne, where both Sykes and Hodson were born.
The campaign “celebrates a city shaped by architecture, industry and independent creativity” and features the Grade II-listed Toast Rack building, while also introducing ‘Britannia’, Cubitts’ newest sunglasses featuring “softly squared proportions”, alongside forthcoming styles ‘Athlone’ and ‘Topham’.
After almost a decade of searching for the right location for a Manchester store, Cubitts finally opened at 16 Smithfield Buildings on Hilton Street in the Northern Quarter on 30 July, marking its 19th store in the UK.
Cubitts said it had deliberately waited to secure a site that reflected its focus on craftsmanship, fitting and spectacle repair, rather than opening simply to establish a presence in Manchester.
The store occupies part of the former Affleck & Brown department store, a landmark building dating back to the 1860s that was once known as the “Harrods of the North”.
On the opening, Tom Broughton, founder of Cubitts, said: “We've been looking for the right home in Manchester for almost a decade. We wanted to be in the Northern Quarter, but only if we could find a building with the history and character to justify our arrival. Smithfield Buildings felt immediately right.
“Manchester does not need another London brand telling it how interesting it is. We're simply pleased to finally be here and hope to make ourselves useful.”
The opening follows the launch of The Yard, the brand's new headquarters and optical manufactory in King's Cross, London, earlier this year.
Tom Broughton will be speaking at TheIndustry.fashion Summit on 15 October 2026.
