Once fashion week has come to a close, it feels like there is nothing to look forward to until January when it all starts again… That was until Vogue decided to throw one of the biggest shopping parties you could ever witness! Across the globe Vogue hosted its annual ‘Fashion Night Out’ and this year the British Vogue team picked Manchester as their key location after several successful years in London.
Models, designers, editors, stylists and good looking celebs (with enviably long legs) hopped on a train to the North to celebrate fashion. Hugo Boss hosted an opening party that you would not want to miss, where Vogue editor Alexandra Schulman started the celebrations.
Both designer and high street stores kept their doors open to the public for a few extra hours for discounts, celebrity DJ’s, designer talks, stylist tips and- of course- a lot of shopping. My favourite store of the night had to be Selfridges. As soon as I entered I was greeted by old-fashion style carts offering sweet delights like cones of popcorn, pick ‘n’ mix, candyfloss and even pancakes filled with Nutella! If you needed refreshment there were specially designed mini bottles of diet coke, rum snow cones and bottles of beer to choose from. Designers such as Henry Holland were spotted pottering around the store, while Jameela Jamil and Eliza Doolittle provided entertainment on the decks. You could even have your own ‘Selfridges Selfie’ and jump in the iconic yellow bag for a cool photo with your friends.
Heading around the corner to Harvey Nichols, there were fashion talks with Roksanda Ilinic and Jonathan Saunders; old school games with a twist, such as designer Twister, and Snakes and Ladders to entertain you as well. You could ‘Spin the Lipstick’ to win some beauty goodies, or even meet Karl Lagerfeld in a game of ‘pin the pony on Karl’.
If you were in need of a beauty update, then you needn’t have worried because in Selfridges you could join the long line to get a Chanel manicure. The well-known French brand offered a manicure in one out of their two limited edition Le Vernis colours; Moody Magic or Sparkly Cosmic. Or you could pop round to Mulberry for a nail update where Essie were waiting to make your hands look beautiful. What more could a girl want?
Vogue Eats set up in the middle of Manchester in case you were peckish, with a specially designed menu by chef Aldo Zilli. Little pop up shops offered pizza, hot chocolate and cute fashion inspired cupcakes for you to enjoy as you shopped.
Street-style photographers roamed the streets looking for the chicest party goers and shoppers dressed to impress. You could also pose for the front cover of Manchester Arndale magazine or in front of the ‘The Avenue’ sign (like editor Alexandra Schulman and designer Matthew Williamson), which was transformed by the Vogue team to look super stylish.
If that wasn’t enough, you could enjoy ice cream at Ted Baker – which was delicious – and have your Vogue Fashion Night Out t-shirt customised. Marks and Spencer’s had its own Prosecco bar; Whistles were offering a personal monogram service on their new season clutch and Vogue’s own contributing fashion editor Kate Phelan was at Topshop offering style advice.
Manchester was buzzing with energy as hundreds of shoppers descended on the city. This really wasn’t an event to be missed, especially if you were able to fit everything in! I’m not going to lie I did get slightly distracted by the pick ‘n’ mix… For any fashion lovers, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the next Vogue event because you definitely will not want to miss it.
Helen Kelly
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