Numerous celebrities will come to Manchester for the 2023/2024 Chanel Metiers d’Art fashion show.
And just outside the star-studded catwalk, the city’s historic Thomas Street could be seen being prepared for the arrival of the glitterati.
The Metiers d’Art collections take place outside of the normal fashion week schedule and a new city is chosen for each show.
A glass canopy has been erected in the trendy Northern Quarter in recent weeks in case the notoriously rainy city could experience showers.
The French luxury fashion house said it chose to present the 2023/24 show in Manchester because it is “one of the liveliest and most avant-garde cities in pop culture, whose bands from every genre have changed the history of Manchester music.”
Numerous celebrities will come to Manchester for the 2023/2024 Chanel Metiers d’Art fashion show
The Metiers d’Art collections take place outside of the normal fashion week schedule and a new city is chosen for each show
Celebrity regulars at Métiers d’Art in recent years have included Pharrell Williams, Lily-Rose Depp and Kristen Stewart – who was recently snapped in Manchester.
Manchester City Council has announced that a number of streets, including the main road between Copperas Street and Nicholas Croft, will be closed throughout the afternoon and most of the night “due to an event in the Northern Quarter”.
A street in the city’s northern district has been cordoned off for the international runway and is expected to be closed for up to a month before the Dec. 7 show.
Large metal structures can be seen on Thomas Street being erected using cranes and construction workers on site to create what looks like a warehouse.
It is believed the structure could serve as a canopy for one of the world’s most-watched shows, after it was announced earlier this year that the 2023/2024 extravaganza would take place in the northern city.
Until now, the venue and details of the Métiers d’Art runway have been kept top secret – but according to local media, dozens of boxes bearing the show’s name have now been spotted in the same area.
Businesses in the immediate area have signed non-disclosure agreements to prevent them from speaking about the event, Manchester Evening News reports.
One business owner said he had to close his doors on Dec. 6 and 7 but would receive compensation.
A street in the city’s northern district has been cordoned off for the international runway and is expected to be closed for up to a month before the Dec. 7 show
Local businesses were reportedly asked to sign non-disclosure agreements in connection with the event
“It must cost them a fortune,” they added.
Since road closures were announced due to construction, social media users have been speculating about the show and asking how they can secure tickets.
Today large weatherproof tarpaulins could be seen being used to cover the structure in advance of preparations for next month’s event.
Workers on site said the structure would stretch from Tib Street to the High Street, with Smithfield Market also being used for the fashion event.
Until now, the venue and details of the Métiers d’Art catwalk have been kept top secret
Signs at the construction site, which is monitored by security forces, indicate that the road will remain closed until December 15.
Chanel has an annual Métiers d’Art collection that celebrates the many artisans and specialists who contribute to its fashion house.
It is reported that Manchester’s northern quarter was chosen due to its historical links to the Industrial Revolution and the clothing industry.
This year, Timothee Chalamet and Riley Keough were named new Chanel brand ambassadors and in May, celebrities including Barbie actress Margot Robbie, socialite Paris Hilton and Spencer star Stewart attended Chanel’s Cruise collection in Los Angeles, indicating suggests Thursday’s show will be another star-studded event.
Chanel creative director Virginie Viard, who succeeded Karl Lagerfeld when he died in 2019, will host the show in the city’s Northern Quarter.
Previous collections have taken place in Tokyo, Shanghai, Rome and Dakar. The aim of the exhibitions is to put the specialist ateliers acquired by Chanel in the spotlight.
A video posted by Manchester’s Finest revealed that the invitation to the show includes a 12-inch vinyl record, as well as a Manchester-style cashmere scarf and a magazine with the street sign from the soap opera Coronation Street changed to Chanel St.
Previous themes for the event have included ancient Egypt, Scotland and the 1960s – but this year’s theme has not yet been announced.
Previous events have taken place in cities such as Paris and Rome, but last year the event took place in Dakar, Senegal.
Gabrielle Chanel fashion exhibition in September. The Fashion Manifesto – dedicated to the designer who founded the luxury fashion house – opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
In the past, Chanel has chosen other British cities for its collections, including Linlithgow Palace near Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2012.
A film of the show is expected to be released on Friday at 9am GMT.