This Easter Sunday I went to my first ever fashion show all the way in Manchester! I have been to The Clothes Show Live in Birmingham, for many years and will continue to do so, but this was my first ever event that I attended, which was more formal! I booked tickets for me and my friend Erin a few weeks back and was so excited in the run up to the actual event that I spent loads on different outfits to get the right look I wanted! More about that in a mo! The actual event itself was held at the Halle St Peters, and is a gorgeous light and airy space, perfect for a catwalk. The church reminded me of the event that the television programme The Hills showcased with Teen Vogue, where they did a fashion show in a church also, so today was my day to feel like the Lauren Conrad of Manchester!
Leading up to the actual event itself there was a little negativity with whether the fashion show would go ahead or not, due to it not the previous year, thank fully due to the sponsors 5fashion.co.uk the event as able to go ahead with great professionalism!
On the day itself my brother drove us the long two and a half hour journey to Manchester and with it being Easter Sunday nothing was open, so we went to Nandos for dinner and before we knew it, it was time to head to the show! A little nervous walking inside, we handed our tickets over and walked in the large open space filled with rows of chairs with goodie bags on each! There were no more than ten stalls around the outer edge which were some of the designers samples of what was to come that night! The seating had no order so we were able to sit anywhere we liked, which we weren't too sure of until after the show. We decided to sit on the third row which was perfect to see all the collections and be able to take pictures, and this way there was no embarrassment of being asked to move, although for next time we will sit front row as these weren't reserved and we now know! After talking and taking some selfies the lights dimmed and the music blarred, the show began!
Picture One is the fashion show starting.
Picture Two is my chosen outfit. My top, skirt and satchel are all from Topshop and are current season! The nude patent shoes are from Next and are from last years collection!
Picture Three is one of many selfies we took before we both agreed on one we both liked! Erins blue dress with white collar is from New Look and her jacket is Miss Selfridge!
The first of the designers to take the catwalk was Get Clobbered by Jane Molloy who featured some extravagant head pieces and accessories to make a show stopping look.
The details on this piece was amazing! It really turns a basic dress into something special.
The next designer was Laundry Boutique which was definitely a favourite of mine with easy to wear pieces at such great prices. They started their show off with slinky playsuits in a lush leopard print design and floating black tops over playful shorts. They then featured a fabulous and very on trend shirt and trouser two piece in floral print, which really showed what a wonderful collection they had! Next was a vibrant coloured playsuit with a peter pan colour and a cream long sleeve lace dress.Their collection kept getting better and better with each piece that came onto the runway, with the detailing on the pieces and the outfits they created, it definitely is a young trendy fashionable clothing brand that is on my list of must have purchases!
Fair T was the next designer, who showcased t-shirts with some great edgy designs that really make a basic tee stand out. They claim, "We care about the people who make our clothes and the environment they were made in. So we've carefully sourced a supply chain which improves the lives and working conditions of factory workers and farmers." You really need to check this brand out and get behind their collection as we should all be supporting fair trade check them out at
www.fair-t.com.
Rufflee came onto the catwalk with a new concept on men dressing similar to women with the creative cropped tops and shorts combo!
As you can see from the pictures above, the designer choose to show how men and women can both wear the vibrant two piece! Will your man be wearing this look this summer?
Muscle In is a line of gym wear and fitness clothing for men who are "determined and self-driven individuals who have a strong commitment to their performance in the gym." In other words you have to be very athletic to carry off the tight fitting gym wear, but if you do have a man with an athletic look then this line is great and very affordable! Check them out here
www.muscle-in.com .
McIndoe was the next designer up and wow this show really flowed with the pieces clearly showing it was a collection that was being shown and not just random pieces placed together! Bright printed shirts and shorts were the main theme which worked well with the men and womens line!
Protected Species is a line of fully waterproof rainwear with great detailing to the macs/parkas that really take them from a boring standard coat to a fabulous one in an instant. The detailing on the back with a bow to the tie at the front really make these coats an essential all year round! Find them here at
www.protected-species.com .
Rachel Wears had a wide collection from daytime through to night time with casual fitting shirts and boyfriend jeans to slinky maxi dresses.
Zeenoe Dee
The use of fabric and great feminine lines really made Zeenoe Dee dresses have the gothic glamour look!
Ms N Designs had the models in glamorous silk/satin mini dresses with beading and embroidery around the edges that made the dresses look rich in fabric!
IL2L stands for I Love To Love, which is what you will find yourself doing when you find this brand online! They have some of the best leather jackets I have seen in like forever, and after going online to see the prices they charge for them I was very happy to see they range from £40-£100+. Here is some of the jackets they used in the fashion show.
AKA Clothing is another brand that is "trendy" in Manchester with great prints on two pieces, t-shirts and trousers, they describe themselves as "the quintessential brand to showcase your individuality and freedom to be", find them here at
thisisaka.com .
More Lillem Than Eve
What I enjoyed about the More Lillem Than Eve catwalk was the patterned deep teal colour tops and trousers and then the mix and match with the gold metallics.
Pretty Green is a well established designer brand and when I seen their name flash up on the screen I was a little more excited, that they chose to share their brand here at Fashion Week! The pictures I took for these didn't come out very well, mainly due to the male models walking a bit too quickly,but you can find all the pieces featured on the Pretty Greens website which is
prettygreen.com .
If you have stayed with me this far, then the much anticipated grand finale was the rather talented and amazing Adnan Bayyat. If you have never heard of him then you must look up his amazing work as he will be seen on all the catwalks around the world. His work delivers a theatrical performance with the pieces being more like a costume of fabulous with every twist and twirl on the catwalk. His designs are captivating if not a little crazy, but he is definitely one designer to be watching!
Hope you've enjoyed reading my first ever fashion week! Leave your comments below I love reading them!
Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin!
Vicki xoxo
