Three years ago, Chanel transformed Manchester’s Northern Quarter into a catwalk for its spectacular Métiers d’Art show. This September, fashion is putting Manchester firmly in the spotlight once again.
The British Fashion Council (BFC) is launching Fashion Britain, a major nationwide celebration taking fashion beyond the capital and into six UK cities, including Manchester. Throughout September, the programme will bring together designers, retailers, cultural organisations and businesses through public events, designer conversations, collaborations and retail experiences.
And the timing couldn’t be better. Manchester Fashion Week returns in September too, adding another reason for the city to celebrate its long relationship with fashion, creativity and reinvention.
And we’ll be watching.
Not because TLC is moving into fashion. We have quite enough to be getting on with. But because fashion and events have always shared the same creative DNA: Theatre. Personality. Craftsmanship. Surprise.
And one absolute rule: Nobody remembers predictable.
Style Should Say Something
The best fashion tells you something about the person wearing it. Events should do exactly the same.
A wedding should feel like the couple. A brand event should feel unmistakably like the brand. And a milestone birthday? If we could swap the name on the invitation and nobody would notice, we haven’t done our job.
Your event should look like you. Not us.
Trends Are Inspiration. Not Instructions.
Fashion loves a trend. So do events. But trends are there to inspire you, not dictate the dress code.
We watch colour, interiors, food, technology, entertainment and culture. Of course we do. Then we decide what’s actually relevant.
Take the trend. Twist it. Make it yours. Or ignore it completely. Following everyone else is easy. Leading is much more interesting.
Theatre Matters
A great fashion show is never just about the clothes: The venue. Lighting. Music. Casting. Anticipation. Reveal. It’s theatre. And events are no different.
From the second a guest arrives, we’re thinking about what they see, hear and feel. Where does their eye go? What’s going to stop them in their tracks? When does the mood change?
You don’t decorate an event. You choreograph it.
Collaboration
Fashion doesn’t happen because one person had a nice idea. Neither do great events.
Designers. Makers. Musicians. Chefs. Florists. Production teams. Performers. It takes brilliant people, all bringing something different to the table.
We’ve always loved putting creative worlds together.
Take Simon Lycett’s floral couture (pictured throughout) for one TLC event. Mannequins became works of art. Floristry became fashion. Décor became theatre.
Nobody asked for something “Instagrammable”. We just had a better idea.
Manchester understands reinvention.
From its textile heritage to Chanel taking over the Northern Quarter and the return of Manchester Fashion Week, this is a city that has never been terribly interested in standing still. Neither are we.
So what can events learn from fashion?
Know who you are.
Have a point of view.
Steal inspiration from everywhere.
And never dress the same as everybody else.
Because whether you’re walking into a room or creating one:
Nobody remembers predictable.
Need more inspiration? The TLC Blog is packed with more ideas, opinions and inspiration from almost 40 years of doing events differently.