The city of Manchester is celebrating its iconic status in the fashion world at this year’s Viva Vintage! Event. Business owners and start-ups working to make clothing products more sustainable will be meeting at the Intellectual Property centre, later joined by a panel of vintage traders and designers to discuss their working experiences.
Taking place this Thursday, the event will host some of British fashion scene’s most reputable list of designers, many of whom came from the North. Celia Birtwell and Ossie Clarke, for example, are hailed from Lancashire and took swinging 60s London by storm with designs which helped define the era. Other names to conjure with include Manchester-born couturier to the stars, Matthew Williamson and Alexander McQueen’s Creative Director Sarah Burton who famously created Catherine Princess of Wales’ wedding gown. Another of the most prominent names of note is none other than Wayne Hemingway MBE who will on 1st December be the keynote speaker at an event in Manchester’s BIPC at Central Library, St Peter’s Square
About Wayne Hemingway
Wayne started his fashion career selling items from his wardrobe at Kensington Market and went on to co-found the iconic label Red Or Dead, much loved by clubbers and popstars alike. In the early 80s Wayne was based in Affleck’s Palace which is celebrating 40 years this year.
In 2010 his company, Hemingway Design, created an annual “Vintage Festival” and he returns to BIPC at a time when debates around sustainability have never been more prevalent or indeed relevant. Wayne’s direct experience and expertise in this sphere will add authority and inspiration to proceedings as well as generating more points for discussion.
Wayne will be joined by Internet sensation and TikTok star Becky Chorlton who started her successful online business Becky’s Bazaar to supplement her student income. Still only 24 Becky will talk about trading online using platforms like Instagram and DePop. Her contribution to the event will be entitled Future Past – Selling on socials.
The importance of vintage and sustainable fashion
Whilst many might suggest that Vintage can sit at the heart of solutions to environmental and economic problems the expert panel which includes some Manchester business owners will debate The Ups and Downs of Vintage Trading.
Maggie Harding from Garbo Antiques and Alistair Hall from Vinyl Resting Place will add their account from the front line when discussing and taking questions about how to survive the highs and lows of being self-employed in the world of second-hand trading.
BIPC GM has at its fingertips all manner of resources and will be driving forward in the coming months to make sure that more people can enjoy and benefit from the spectrum of opportunities provided they might not even know exist. This event is just of many scheduled to highlight opportunities ad to get people thinking about ways to make their futures work.
Wayne Hemingway says: “The focus on sustainability in fashion has never been so acute. Fashion is important to our sense of well-being and self-confidence but we have to make that this doesn’t come at the expense of the environment , climate and people who workers in developing countries . It is up to emerging designers and entrepreneurs to guide society away from fast fashion to a more circular fashion economy.”
Councillor John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said: ” We know that Manchester is a hub of creativity. From literature, to art, to fashion Manchester is a city bursting with talented artists and designers with their own businesses.
“Our Viva Vintage event allows local businesses to meet industry professionals such as famous designer Wayne Hemingway and, allows them to engage in important conversations around fashion, sustainability and the future of their businesses.
“The Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC), at Central Library, are hosting the event and will be on site to provide advice, resources and information to those who attend.”
Becky Chorlton says: “My advice to young entrepreneurs would be not to compare themselves to anyone else and to make sure they celebrate every single achievement (no matter how small it may seem). It’s important to remember we all started somewhere so don’t compare your day 1 with someone else’s day.”
