All eyes are on the North of England right now, as Timothée Chalamet goes where few men have dared before and declares the Hull accent ‘sexy’ (though as someone who grew up there, j’agree) and Chanel lands in Manchester for its 2023/2024 Métiers d'art show, taking over a cobbled street in its cultural Northern Quarter to debut a collection indebted to the city’s indelible music scene – from the acid house of the Haçienda, to the Northern Soul blared out in working men’s clubs, to baggy bands like Oasis, Stone Roses, and more.

Realistically, though, the North has always had ‘it’, and while soppy Southerners might mock it for being grim and downtrodden, from Manchester, to Newcastle, to Leeds and beyond, its influence on fashion is unquestionable. It’s where the second summer of love found its feet, where the world’s first goth club sprung up, where rebel designers like Vivienne Westwood, Gareth Pugh, Matty Bovan, and Daniel Lee got their start in life. 

It also happens to be a hotbed of personal style which laughs in the face of the core-affixed trends that run rampant on TikTok, with Manchester particularly a hub for style-focused kids who mix and match designer outfits with secondhand scores and cult indie labels. With that in mind, we sent local photographer Jacob Johnson out onto the city’s streets to capture a bunch of looks and get the lowdown on the best bits about Manny, its influence on fashion, and what they really thought about the Chanel show.

And yes, of course it was pissing it down: there are a lot of misconceptions about the North, but sadly that it’s always raining pretty much rings true. Still not putting a on a coat on a night out though, sorry about it.

PIERCE, 20

“My own style is mainly my mum’s wardrobe – big up mum! She’s had a massive impact on it. I’ve also got my grandma’s blazer on, which you can’t really see, but it’s houndstooth. When I think of Manchester style, I think of the baggy coats and beanie kind of thing. I think where we are in the Northern Quarter just encapsulates the whole thing – the record shops, the flares. It’s very “Life on Mars”, kind of punky, pointy shoes, that sort of thing. 

My Manchester style icons are probably Nathan Hopkinson or Regan Walker, I’m a big fan of the new bloods. Obviously you could go classic with Liam Gallagher and that but the boys that you always see out and about around here [have had a big impact] on people’s style. [When it comes to Chanel showing in Manchester], I think it’s very forward looking. It’s so easy to have London be the centre of the universe, but Manchester is definitely very underappreciated for its style and its voice, and I think to host the show here is an incredibly wise move from the brand.”

SOPHIE, 25

“My style is all about wearing what I feel good in, it’s not necessarily always fashionable. I quite like something jazzy, a bit out-there, and something that just makes me feel like ‘me’. Manchester is a place where you can literally wear whatever you want, it’s a good open space to feel comfortable and wear fruity, jazzy, out-there items without being judged.

When I think of [stereotypical] Manc style, I think of the big jackets, the adidas, but to be honest, it’s not really a place where I think there is a specific style, but yeah, adidas is up there. I think it’s really cool that Chanel wanted to bring something big to Manchester, bringing the city up a bit more, you know? I think it’s fun, it’s new, and it’s what the city needs.” 

AMELIE, 20

“My style has been modified from a lot of goth culture, emo culture, all of that jazz, but since I’ve started studying fashion, I’ve been incorporating a lot more designer style and high fashion type pieces, just to kind of make it my own. Manchester is top tier for alternative fashion, alternative culture, and because I’ve been coming out in Manchester since I was 14, being around all these people who are very similar, I’ve shaped the way I’ve styled myself around what I’ve seen in the Northern Quarter.

I think Chanel’s decision to show up here is absolutely amazing for Manchester, but I do think it is a bit of a shock. Of all the places in the world I thought they would have done something, it would not be here. But it’s great. I am well proud that Manchester has been able to host something like this.

“Chanel’s decision to show up here is absolutely amazing for Manchester, but it is a bit of a shock. Of all the places in the world I thought they would have done something, it would not be here. But it’s great. I am well proud that Manchester has been able to host something like this” – Amelie, 23

DANIEL, 23

“When it comes to my style, recently I’ve been getting into more avant-garde pieces, like by Rick Owens, some of the Japanese designers, very monochrome, all the time. Originally when I was into fashion it was through streetwear, then getting into that inspired me to want to stand out and be dressed better than other people (laughs) – or at least, you know, getting stuff other people couldn’t get. I got into vintage shopping and then that expanded into other areas of fashion.

When someone says Manchester style, I think of the classics: adidas Sambas, football hooliganism, that kind of road or street style, and obviously Liam Gallagher is the city’s biggest style icon. Even just seeing the silhouette of him you know who it is straight away. I didn’t know much about the Chanel show before I came down to be honest, but I’m happy that they’re showing here and shining more of a light on the city, because it gets overshadowed by London quite a lot. It brings more focus to us which the city deserves.”