This time around, members of the public can get free ticketsRachel Pugh Fashion, beauty, shopping and affiliates editor

18:06, 11 Aug 2025

Models walk the runway during the CHANEL Metiers D'Art Fashion Show in December 2023Models walk the runway during the CHANEL Metiers D’Art Fashion Show in December 2023(Image: Getty Images)

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced it is taking over Manchester for a huge fashion event.

In 2023, Chanel brought its annual Metiers D’Art show to the city, as it took over the Northern Quarter – further cementing Manchester as a British stalwart in fashion.

You can read Fashion Editor Rachel Pugh’s front row review of the Chanel Metiers D’Art show here.

And now, the city will once again become a hive for fashion and creativity, as the BFC’s City Wide Celebration (CWC) comes to Manchester this autumn.

CWC is a curated programme of unique experiences and activations open to the public throughout September, which will bring the flair and spirit of London Fashion Week to the North. The City Wide Celebration in Manchester will run from Friday, September 12, to Tuesday, September 16.

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At the centre of the event will be the Trafford Centre, which will host a series of exciting fashion events and immersive experiences as part of the BFC’s City Wide Celebration.

The cities of London, Liverpool and Newcastle will also see their own CWC takeover.

CWC says it will ‘bring together designers, retailers, cultural institutions, and premium hospitality venues to celebrate the very best of the UK’.

Two years after Chanel took Manchester, the British Fashion Council taking over againTwo years after Chanel took Manchester, the British Fashion Council taking over again(Image: BFC)

This year, CWC will launch its ‘At Home With’ initiative – a series of talks and panel discussions spotlighting the cultural and geographic roots of some of Britain’s most celebrated designers.

Manchester’s headline event, ‘At Home With’ presented by 1664 Blanc, will take place at Trafford Centre’s Orient Stage on Saturday, September 13 from 1pm to 3pm.

The panel will bring together celebrated designers, Kazna Asker, Matty Bovan, Nadine Merabi and Liam Winter (The Winter House) for an intimate conversation exploring how Manchester’s unique spirit and culture continue to shape and inspire creative talent. Together, these designers reflect the city’s creative voice, each with a distinct story rooted in its influence.

The speakers will include:

  • Kazna Asker is a British–Yemeni fashion designer whose work bridges community, cultural identity, and activism. Drawing inspiration from her Yemeni heritage and upbringing in Liverpool and Sheffield, she blends streetwear with traditional Islamic garments to create powerful, message-driven collections. She studied Fashion Design for three years at Manchester before completing her MA at Central Saint Martins, where she became the first designer to present a hijabi collection on the CSM MA runway
  • Liam Winter is a designer who established his jewellery brand, The Winter House in 2021 with a desire to produce work that exists as both art and design, resulting in evocative, emotive and often surreal collections. Winter is a self-taught jeweller with his experience studying Performance Design and practice at Central St Martins and Film at The University of Westminster inspiring his conceptual pieces that speak to the psyche
  • Nadine Merabi’s journey is deeply rooted in determination, creativity, and a passion for making women feel their best. Frustrated by poor fit, lack of originality, and overpriced occasionwear, Nadine began creating bold, one-of-a-kind pieces that celebrate confidence, individuality, and glamour. Inspired by her Lebanese heritage and British upbringing, Nadine’s timeless glamour took the fashion industry by storm through decadent finishes, signature flared and tulip silhouettes and custom sourced fabrics
  • Matty Bovan graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2015 with an MA specialising in Fashion Knitwear. His graduate collection opened the final show and earned him the L’Oréal Professionel Creative Award, followed by the LVMH Graduate Prize 2015. He has worked with various brands, including Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, British Airways, Coach NY, Liberty London, and Barbie, and his work is worn by a loyal fan base, including Adwoa Aboah, Naomi Campbell, Björk, Rita Ora, Shirley Manson, Georgia May Jagger, and Tilda Swinton

Free tickets to the ‘At Home With’ event can be booked here. All other events and activations taking place in participating stores across Trafford Centre are also free and open for the public to attend. The full CWC schedule will be announced later this summer.

Speaking about the event, Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We’re incredibly proud to host The British Fashion Council’s City Wide Celebration, in what is a brilliant moment for fashion in the North.

“Trafford Centre has always been synonymous with great style – from high street favourites to designer labels, and everything in between.

“We are really excited to be part of an event that is the celebrating local talent and strengthening Manchester’s fashion credentials, not only regionally but across the UK.”