Recap: What went down at Manchester Fashion Week

With a focus on “sustainability, innovation and community”, Manchester Fashion Week returned after a 10-year hiatus last week from 9-11 September to show the fashion world that the UK’s pool of talent stretches well beyond London.

Held at Campfield House in St John’s, the three-day event positioned Manchester, not only as Britain’s original textile capital, but as “a global hub for sustainable, tech-driven and community-rooted fashion”.

Catwalk shows, workshops and debates highlighted both established names and new voices, as designers drew on Manchester’s identity as “a city of makers and doers”, while industry leaders pushed urgent conversations on skills, circularity and technology.

Day one put the focus on ‘Heritage and Queer Maximalism’, opening with Drew Kent’s ‘ADORAFLORA: Queerness in Bloom’, a playful, crochet-based collection that challenged fixed ideas of identity. Then, Malon Fashion’s sculptural wearable art - worn by the likes of musicians SZA and Doja Cat – “set a high bar for the days to come”.

As a Manchester Fashion Week media partner, Eco Age hosted the first panel on ‘Heritage and Future-Proof’. Mike Stoll, Managing Director of Private White V.C., which has a factory in Cottenham House in Salford (where he has worked for over five decades), which The Telegraph called “the last working garment factory in Manchester”, was on hand to share his vast knowledge on production and resale.

Day two centred on ‘Ecosystems and Accountability’, with workshops on “colonial legacies in supply chains”.

Safia Minney and Lavinia Muth opened debates about fashion’s global impact, while panel discussions such as ‘The Fabric of Britain’ examined the future of UK textile production, and the Mancunia Founders Panel brought together local innovators including Clints, À Couvert and Malon Fashion.

On the runway, standout moments came from Mancunia Ugly, Make it Wet, Bepo and Śilpa, whose collections reimagined waste and heritage into uncompromising design.

The final day put the spotlight on ‘Tech and Transformation’. That kicked off with ‘The Future Fashion Tech’ panel and workshops by start-ups such as Nanoloom and Seamless Source demonstrated how digital sampling, biomaterials and automation can cut waste.

Specialising in haute couture, womenswear, illustration, beading and embroidery, V.A.LE presented couture designs inspired by Diana, Princess of Wales, made from deadstock materials, while Drew Kent returned to close the week on the catwalk.

Gemma Gratton, Executive Producer of Manchester Fashion Week, said: “Manchester Fashion Week has proved that it is not just another date in the calendar. It is a statement that this city, with its history, honesty and creativity, has the power to shape global conversations about fashion’s future.

"The impact has been immediate: packed rooms, strong debate and a sense that Manchester is leading with purpose.”

John Higginson, CEO of Eco Age, media partner of Manchester Fashion Week, added: “Having Manchester Fashion Week back is about more than style. It’s about proving that a city built on making can set a new standard for fashion rooted in craft, community and responsibility.

“The energy, the talent and the commitment we have seen this week show why Manchester deserves its place on the world stage.”