A two-day sustainable fashion event is coming to Manchester shopping complex the Trafford Centre this month,
The leading shopping and leisure destination will champion circular fashion, environmentally conscious fashion and new season trends with a selection of pre-loved fashion sales, ticketed live expert talks and spectacular fashion shows.
Aiming to inspire shoppers to reinvent their wardrobe whilst championing brands that are taking more steps to adopt greener practices, Trafford Centre will come alive with spectacular fashion shows and dance fusion performances whilst showcasing key A/W trends from the centre’s vast array of fashion retailers.
The public can also expect pre-loved fashion sales from We Are Second Life, whilst ticketed live expert talks will be hosted in-store by Selfridges. Meanwhile, styling sessions will be hosted by John Lewis, with support from charity partner, Smart Works, championing sustainable initiatives.
Zoe Inman, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting a 2-day fashion extravaganza at Trafford Centre; an opportunity to showcase the incredible range of fashion brands on offer, whilst highlighting brands that are championing sustainable initiatives.
“The centre will come alive with fantastic entertainment, inspiring shows, and informative talks, whilst also giving the public the opportunity to purchase pre-loved items – we are looking forward to delivering another huge-scale event that continues to escape the ordinary.”
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Across the two days, specially-choreographed fashion shows will take place in The Main Dome, championing the themes of re-wearing and restyling whilst also showcasing the latest A/W trends.
A team of eight young dancers from troop Dance Fusion will also be on hand performing a high-energy routine to entertain shoppers alongside the diverse fashion shows.
Elsewhere, Selfridges will host X3 ‘in conversation with’ live talks focused on its Materials, Models and Mindsets pillars as part of the wider ‘refashioned’ event.
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And Smart Works, a UK female employment charity that dresses and coaches women for interviews and job success, will partner with John Lewis to offer styling sessions in the department store’s dedicated styling lounge.
Tickets for the Smart Works styling are priced at £10 per person. As part of the experience, customers will be treated to a glass of prosecco on arrival, a John Lewis goodie bag and an interactive session of styling from both Smart Works Greater Manchester and John Lewis, with all funds going to support the Smart Works Greater Manchester charity.
Smart Works Head of Wardrobe Trustee, Kay Barratt said: “We use fashion as a force for good, with our dressing room stocked with pre-loved and new clothing to dress women in preparation for their interviews.
“Shopping your wardrobe, learning how to take pieces from one season to the next and mixing pre-loved and vintage has never been more in fashion. We look forward to sharing styling tips and tricks at Trafford Centre’s refashioned event that will not only save the planet, but also your pocket too.”
Rob Lorrimer, Event Manager at we are second life fashion said: “What could be better than great fashion at small prices, all in the effort to help save our planet.
“We are delighted to partner with Trafford Centre on its refashioned event.”
The two-day sustainable fashion event will take place on Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October at the Trafford Centre. See the full schedule below.
REFASHIONED EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday 30 September
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Fashion Show and Dance Performance: [2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm] The Main Dome
We are second life sale: The Orient
Smart Works X John Lewis Styling Sessions: [11:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00] John Lewis Styling Studio
Selfridges live talks: Selfridges store
SELFRIDGES LIVE TALKS
12:00 PM – 13:00 PM – ‘REFILL’:
The importance of sustainable beauty.
Hosted by L’Oréal Blackett & guest speaker.
16:00 PM – 17:00 PM – ‘REPAIR & RESELL’:
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Instead of buying new, what else can we do?
Hosted by L’Oréal Blackett & guest speaker from CEO of Sneaker ER Alan.
18:30 PM – 19:30 PM – ‘REDUCE’:
Investment pieces for a more sustainable wardrobe.
Hosted by L’Oréal Blackett & guest speaker Sophia Rosemary
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Saturday 1 October
Fashion Show and Dance Performance: [11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm] The Main Dome
We are second life sale: The Orient
Fashion brands on offer at Trafford Centre include luxury and high street favourites from Selfridges, John Lewis, Levi’s, H&M, North Face, Havaianas and many more.
Family-friendly LGBTQ+ festival returns to Manchester Pride 2026
Danny Jones
Exactly what it says on the tin, Proud Fest returns to Manchester for 2026, promising plenty of fun for all ages away from the main hustle and bustle this summer.
Best part of all? It’s completely FREE.
Taking place in the heart of the city centre, it offers a viable alternative to many who want to avoid the major crowds that flock to Gay Village’s Pride party every year.
Just the second year that this LGBTQIA+ festival has been set up, making its colourful debut in 2025, there’ll be everything from live music, games and other interactive opportunities for all ages, arts and crafts, plus workshops and plenty more; there’s something for everyone here.
Championing “entertainment, family-friendly activities, music, creativity, and plenty of Pride spirit”, the 2026 edition of Proud Fest is set to be one of the biggest ever.
Based around Great Northern Warehouse just off Deansgate and Peter Street, it’s set to be hosted by drag queen ‘Aida H Dee’, as well as Sara Gosney-Hughes, best-known for her travel expertise and work as a broadcaster and producer at nearby station Hits Radio.
With both calling Manchester home, alongside lots of other organisers behind the free festivities, you can expect plenty of hometown passion and pride – pun very much intended.
Set up in partnership with Proud 2 b Parents (P2bP), mums, dads and more will also be able to enjoy the official Pride parade from a viewing area in the dedicated Community Hall, where they’ll get a perfect spot to watch the floats and performers go down the strip.
Canal Street is already gearing up for those sublime, sun-soaked evenings at the end of August.
Speaking ahead of the latest iteration of the annual festival, Founder and CEO of P2bP, Matt Taylor-Roberts, told us in a statement: “Proud Fest is about creating the spaces many of us wished existed when we first became parents.
“It’s a celebration of LGBTQ+ families in all their diversity and a reminder that every family deserves to feel seen, supported and celebrated.”
At its core, this is about creating a safe and friendly option for families to still feel connected to the queer community and play their part in the wider celebrations.
You can grab your completely complimentary tickets right HERE.
And if you’re looking for other great days out for the family in Manchester this summer, there’s another free event happening at Circle Square earlier in the month.
Featured Images — Proud 2 be Parents (supplied via Brazen PR)
News
Manc architects submit plans to demolish 1970s office block and make way for new residential area
Danny Jones
A Manchester-based architects has submitted promising proposals to demolish an old 1970s-era office block and make way for a brand new residential community in Stockport.
The vision seems fairly ambitious and lofty – pun intended – but the potential outcome could be stunning.
Ollier Smurthwaite (OS) Architects are the local practice behind the new housing plans, which will not only provide nearly 300 new homes but also bring part of the Stopfordian skyline down; it’s not often you hear of things getting lower when so much of Greater Manchester just keeps building up.
Sharing the first proper glimpse at what they hope the redeveloped corner of the busy A6 main road will look like, many have been pleased to see familiar red brick and a traditional feel as opposed to more glass towers.
Writing a lengthy caption alongside the social media post, the OS state, “We are preparing a planning application for the St Christopher’s site in Stockport.
“Located at the prominent junction of Wellington Road South and Longshut Lane, the proposal aims to transform the prominent corner by demolishing the existing 10-storey 1970s office block to make way for a new residential community.
“The proposals are for a modern ‘mansion’ block with taller ceilings, more windows, better communal areas and private gardens.”
It remains to be seen at what price point these apartments will be available for.
Promising a total of 278 ‘new dwellings’, the scheme will crucially see the height of the existing plot lowered to fall in line with other neighbouring properties, as St Christopher’s House currently sits well above the nearby terraces and its metropolitan style does stand out against the surrounding brickwork.
The early reception to the proposed plans looks to be largely positive, too, with one user commenting online, “A very nice looking building with character. More of these please”; another went so far as to add, “These are the sort of modern buildings that will become grade listed.”
It’s also worth showcasing what exactly these blueprints look like when they’re brought to life, such as another development over in Longsight:
Render vs Reality. We recently completed our Daisy Bank scheme in Longsight Manchester for 72 new homes. The scheme takes contextual references from Dalton Ellis Hall & Victoria Park Christian Fellowship in the adjacent conservation area.@createstreets@archi_tradition… pic.twitter.com/DasRUtaylh
Safe to say that seeing what businesses trying to regenerate boroughs actually deliver compared to their initial mock-ups is always useful.
The award-winning firm goes on to add that “the building will be deliberately stepped back from the pavement to create a planted tree-lined avenue”, which will also revolve around a central courtyard and residents’ gardens, with ground-floor flats benefitting from private patios.
CGIs of shared communal roof terraces also give the designs that added modern look, with few other places in the vicinity offering this kind of space. It could be a welcome addition to the region that is already going through plenty of change at the minute.
Another big construction scheme is the one being carried out by Capital and Centric over the new Weir Mill district, which could be transformational for the town centre.
The Manc -
21st September 2022 
