Manchester has always been a home to innovation and creativity, where the fashion and textiles have boomed and future trends developed. From the Cotton Mills of days passed to the rise of Fast Fashion in the heart of our great City more recently, Manchester has established itself as a place to inhabit if you want to be a part of the growing fashion industry. Considering this, it is hardly surprising then that the capital of the North West has produced some new talent to watch out for, being called home by new names making waves in the ever-changing world of fashion.
Here are our Top Five designers to watch out for in 2017.
Let’s Embrace is a brand created by the incredible Simone, a Manchester local who spent a couple of years in Ghana and has been heavily influenced by her time there. This designer combines Afrocentric influence juxtaposed with the Urban agenda of a Mancunian landscape to offer fresh and vibrant designs. Manchester is a hub of diversity, giving the ideal platform for designers such as Simone to shine, particularly within Streetstyle aesthetics. Keep an eye out for Let’s Embrace’s original collections and an ear out for the conversations Simone is provoking.
A self-professed brand ‘for the Common People by the Common People’, My Common Goods take inspiration from the diversity seen on Manchester’s streets and boast big goals in abid to become a major player in the new wave of Unisex Athleisure Wear. Do they achieve this yet? Well, they have certainly impressed a lot of people and it’s safe to say 2017 will be a good year for these vibrant entrepreneurs. With a growing interest in genderless fashion, this could be just the time for a brand like this to thrive.
A new menswear fashion brand introduced to Manchester by Creative Director Jo Hawtree, Gunsmoke and Lavender is finally gaining the recognition it deserves. Hawtree is pushing the boundaries of menswear, something so desperately needed as designers have left male fashion alone for far too long. While women’s fashion swirls by in a giddying rush of ruffles, hemlines and silhouettes towards Spring, Gunsmoke and Lavender caters to the male silhouette, providing elevating looks within menswear. This Mancunian designer is standing up to outdated stereotypes and using innovative designs to create bold new looks for the men of Manchester, certainly one to watch for 2017.
The brand is named after World War One hero Private Jack White and their designs reference their namesake’s military legacy. The uniformed go-to look for this brand is distinctly constructed in a wartime aesthetic, updated with modernised functionality and detail fit for the contemporary man. All items are produced at the brand’s factory in Manchester and materials are sourced locally whenever possible- namely the majority from mills in the surrounding area. The Creative Director is Nick Ashley, son on the household name Laura Ashley, who is responsible for shaping the image of Private White V.C. and designing looks for the men of Manchester and beyond.
5. She Shore
Mancunian print designer Ryan James specialises in swimwear that is both practical and stylish, with a signature twist. James incorperates technology with aesthetics, specialising in women’s clothing to create bold new looks. This new brand focuses on creating stunning swimwear that reflects the different characteristics of the women wearing their products, aiming to ensure that their designs are wearable but also original. This brand will ensure you can carry your Mancunian identity on holiday with you- She Shore evoke the free spirit of a seaside scene, combined with the detail of a designer garment.
These five stand- out designers are making waves in the Mancuninan fashion scene, and gaining recognition for our city and cultural identity further afield. They’re certainly not alone, however, and there are plenty of incredible designers to keep an eye out for in Manchester throughout 2017, have any suggestions, let us know in the comments below.
