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Bolton-born luxury streetwear brand Represent to open first permanent Manchester store

Football isn't the only thing coming home...

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 11th July 2024

One of Greater Manchester’s biggest fashion success stories is set to open its first permanent store in the city centre.

Founded back in 2011 by Bolton-born brothers, George and Mike Heaton, Represent has gone from strength to strength, and has become, far and away, one of the UK’s best-loved luxury fashion labels over the past decade or so – proving itself to be a proper local success story for the Greater Manchester region.

Represent has collaborated with numerous big-name celebrities since its launch, including Justin Bieber, the Kardashians, and even Manchester’s very-own Liam Gallagher.

The brand already has a bespoke store over in West Hollywood, and a recently-announced planned space in London’s swanky Soho area, as well as having created several pop-ups in both London and Manchester at the likes of Selfridges, Flannels, and Harrods.

Luxury streetwear brand Represent is opening its first permanent Manchester store / Credit: Represent Clo (via Facebook)

But now, to build on its success even further, the rapidly-growing company has announced that it’ll be opening its first permanent retail store outside of the capital later this year.

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And naturally, it’s chosen Manchester as the lucky location.

The city centre‘s major shopping centre, Manchester Arndale, says it’s “delighted” to reveal that it has agreed a 10-year lease deal with the label to open a brand-new 5,419 sq ft store on New Cathedral Street – which is a street already home to other leading luxury retailers like Harvey Nichols, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors.

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Inspired by retro Mancunian designs, Represent’s popular ranges of t-shirts, hoodies, and trainers are regularly showcased at top fashion destinations worldwide.

The Bolton-born brand is taking up a unit on New Cathedral Street in the city centre / Credit: Represent Clo (via Facebook)

The brand says its new Manchester store will aim to provide a “bespoke luxury shopping experience”, where customers can book an appointment with an advisor who’ll be able to offer recommendations tailored to their needs.

“We are very excited to open our first UK retail store in Manchester, our hometown and base,” admitted George Heaton, who is the co-founder and current Creative Director of Represent.

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“The Represent Manchester location marks an important and iconic milestone for the brand.

“We’ve been on the lookout for the perfect location and managed to come upon this great store in a prestigious part of the city amongst other luxury brands. The space reflects what Represent looks and feels, through the tones, palette it carries, and the textures used throughout the materials used to craft the interior and exterior.”

Read more:

Represent is set to open in Manchester on New Cathedral Street this autumn, but exact opening dates are to be announced in due course.

Featured Image – Supplied

Shopping

Major retailer Monki to close store in Manchester Arndale

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Monki, a popular fashion brand that’s owned by H&M, had announced it’s closing its Manchester store – and soon.

The high street brand is famed for selling bold, playful clothing at affordable prices.

It opened its glittering disco-inspired shop in the heart of the Manchester Arndale in 2018.

Shoppers will recognise the holographic arches at the entrance and the Monki brand name spelled out in lightbulbs overhead.

But this week, H&M confirmed that all seven Monki stores across the UK will close, either shutting them completely or merging them with Weekday, another of the retail giant’s brands.

Manchester is among the first casualties of this move, with signs in the window of the store confirming that a closing down sale will be live until 12 January.

At that point, the Manchester Monki store will close for good.

Also shutting will be Newcastle, with the fate of the five remaining shops – including one in Sheffield – not yet confirmed.

The statement from H&M read: “A limited number of Monki stores are intended to be transformed into multi-brand Weekday destinations, while the others are intended to be closed.

“The newly formed Weekday multi-brand destination will cater to customers’ high aesthetic standards while embracing their multitude of unique expressions.”

In a statement shared earlier this month, they added: “Being mindful about the changes this might entail for our colleagues; we look forward to this exciting new chapter on the way to something great.”

Monki will close in Manchester Arndale on 12 January.

Read more: The best picky bits and Christmas party food in M&S this year

Featured image: The Manc Group

Shopping

The best picky bits and Christmas party food in M&S this year

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The best party food at M&S for Christmas 2024

Can some scientist please explain why us Brits have such a compulsion to roll out the picky bits and party food (ESPECIALLY if it comes from M&S) as soon as there’s a vague sense of occasion?

Birthday party? Picky bits. BBQ season? Picky bits. Had a long day at work and can’t decide what to have for tea but definitely don’t want a Pot Noodle? Picky bits.

And when Christmas or New Year’s Eve rolls around, the urge to consume random little morsels of food intensifies.

Whether it’s British classics squashed down into tiny portions and jammed on a buffet table or fancy little appetisers you hand around a party, we just can’t get enough.

Which is why we’ve raided the shelves at M&S once again to bring you all the best picky bits and party food available for Christmas 2024.

As for prices, the more premium M&S Collection party food items are generally priced at £7.50, with the more standard range coming in at £5.50 each, and all available on a four-for-three offer.

And yes, you might end up spending an obscene amount of money on miniature food items that won’t do a single thing to quell an appetite, but my gosh, won’t you feel like a prim and proper princess when you slide those teeny weeny fish and chips in front of your guests.

Let’s begin.

Brits abroad

M&S party food 2024 - chicken shawarma and Middle Eastern flatbreads
M&S party food 2024 – chicken shawarma and Middle Eastern flatbreads
M&S party food 2024 - patatas bravas stacks
M&S party food 2024 – patatas bravas stacks

M&S might be the most staunchly British institution of modern times, but us Brits also love nothing more than to lift the culinary expertise of other countries onto our own plates.

And this year is no exception – M&S has whipped up a whole host of party food inspired by international favourites.

From little potato stacks that pay homage to everyone’s favourite tapas dish, patatas bravas, to tiny chicken shawarma kebabs to Middle Eastern Flatbreads, if you want a little spice on your Christmas buffet, they’ve got it.

Well aren’t you a fancy pants?!

M&S Christmas party food 2024

‘Ooooh, someone’s doing well’ comes the chorus of praise as you hand around your mini prawn thermidor (these tiny gold trays even have a cheddar cheese crumb on top).

‘Wow, that must’ve been a good Christmas bonus’ they say as they accept a mini coquille St Jacques, complete with extra-small shell.

If upper middle class was a nibble, it would probably look like these guys.

Little Britain

Mini scampi and chips, and miniature pies at M&S
Mini scampi and chips, and miniature pies at M&S
Mini Yorkshire puddings and cheese and ham scones from M&S party food range
Mini Yorkshire puddings and cheese and ham scones from M&S party food range

Imagine all your classic British dishes, pub food, Sunday dinners, comfort meals cooked by your mum – you picturing them? Okay, now imagine them again but really, really small.

Now you’ve got a good idea of the items in our next M&S party food category.

There are mini Yorkshire puddings filled with slow-cooked beef, red wine and mushroom jus, and a garlic and herb crumb.

There are neat little cheddar and ham scones, miniature pies filled with beef and ale or chicken and leek, and even picky bit-sized scampi and chips portions, complete with newspaper wrapping. Cute!

The classics

M&S prawn selection
M&S prawn selection
M&S pigs in blankets and halloumi in blankets
M&S pigs in blankets and halloumi in blankets
M&S Smoked salmon appetisers
M&S Smoked salmon appetisers

These are not just buffet food items, these are M&S buffet food items, and that means they come with a bit of pizzazz.

Yes, there are pigs in blankets, but there are also halloumi pigs in blankets (which they weirdly haven’t made vegetarian) served with a hot honey drizzle.

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We love a battered prawn on a party food selection and M&S has done a selection of tiger prawn nibbles – prawn baguette toasts, prawn and coconut bites, and prawn and potato lattice balls. The word prawn is starting to look weird.

There are also smoked salmon appetisers, where smoked salmon strips are rolled around a honey roast salmon mousse. Hope ya like very small fish!

Calm down M&S it’s getting weird now

M&S festive bao buns
M&S festive bao buns
The viral M&S turkey feast dip
The viral M&S turkey feast dip
Mini steak sandwiches from the M&S party food range
Mini steak sandwiches

I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the M&S party food is discussed, because I’m pretty sure no one around that boardroom table is telling them ‘No, Arabella, that’s a silly idea’. Arabella does what she wants.

This year, she’s heard all the ‘girl dinner’ trends and gone ‘WE SHOULD MAKE A CHRISTMAS DIP’ – the result is a turkey feast dip topped with shredded turkey and bacon, cranberry sauce, cranberries and a stuffing crumb. WHY, ARABELLA?!

They’ve also brought back the novelty-shaped bao, this year in two festive shapes – penguins and polar bears.

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And of course you can still get miniature steak sandwiches and I don’t know why that makes me so uncomfortable, but it does.

A very yeehaw Christmas

M&S Mini beef burgers
M&S Mini beef burgers
Buffalo chicken croquettes and New York deli spring rolls at M&S
Buffalo chicken croquettes and New York deli spring rolls at M&S

Giddy up, cowboy, it’s time for the rootin’-tootin’ M&S party food show!

Everyone’s favourite fancy supermarket has gone stateside this year, drawing inspiration from the healthiest of nations… America.

There are Buffalo chicken croquettes, served with an extra Buffalo sauce dip, mini beef burgers (always the hardest thing to eat), and, weirdly, spring rolls inspired by a New York deli?

They’ve shoved salt beef and sauerkraut into a spring roll and then served it with a mustard and gherkin dip. You do you, M&S.

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Now you’re just showing off

M&S party food 2024 - the charcutertree
M&S party food 2024 – the charcuter-tree. Credit: The Manc Group

You’re presenting your charcuterie on a flat board? Peasant.

Real fancy people present their cured meat and cheese selection in the shape of a Christmas tree (obviously) and M&S have got a build-you-own kit available for £25.

An extra shout-out to the security-locked Serrano ham joint, which came with its own block and knife, for another statuesque meat buffet option.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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