Cheshire Oaks have teamed up with a celebrity stylist to create ‘Style on Screen’ top tips this summer
We spoke to stylist Ryan Kay to learn more about how the silver and small screens are influencing trends this summer and how you can take inspiration without just hopping on a bandwagon.
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is back with another brilliant event this summer called ‘Style on Screen’ and we’ve been getting to learn all about how TV and film can help update our wardrobe.
Inspired by some of the biggest releases of the year like Barbie and the Sex in the City spin-off, And Just Like That…, their latest project is to help inform those who love fashion and being in front of a camera, as well as those who are less comfortable, on how to build a wardrobe in keeping with current trends.
Once again, taking cues from the current aesthetics Hollywood has to offer, Cheshire Oaks and the McArthur Glen group have teamed up with local celebrity stylist, Ryan Kay, to help create looks around contemporary movies and TV shows and give you some sound advice.
Ryan made a splash at London Fashion Week back in 2016 and has been building up his portfolio and reputation ever since, working with some of the UK’s most popular designers, businesses, celebrities and, crucially, multiple productions involving the screen.
From collaborating with the likes OK! and HELLO! Magazine, to styling celebrities like Olivia Attwood, Fleur East, Lucy Fallon; Gemma Owen, Gemma Atkinson and Amy Childs just to name a few — not to mention working on Strictly, Saturday Night Takeaway, Eurovision and more — this guy is in demand.
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Lucky for you, following the official ‘Style on Screen’ event, where up-and-coming influencers, aspiring performers and members of the general public turned up to learn more about this summer’s looks, the Warrington-born fashion and brand consultant handed out some of his top tips.
Ryan’s top tips
1. Pairing different shades of the same colour — let’s say for instance, you want to recreate the Barbie since it’s everywhere at the minute, start off by seeing what pinks you already have in your wardrobe and build from there. As Ryan sees, it’s about “choosing accessories within the same tonal family… A bag and shoes that complement each other like this will help the outfit feel pulled together and deliberate.”
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2. Don’t wear trends if they’re not your style — “I love taking looks that I love on the catwalk or on-screen and get inspired on how this can work with pieces that I already own”. Once again, it’s about trying to restyle things you already own into new looks.
‘The Style on Screen’ event was about showing people how you can replicate a look on a budget using brands and key pieces that you can find around places like Cheshire Oaks’.
3. Contrasting textures — by combining pieces with different textures and materials, “even simple outfits can look more premium and interesting. For example, a pair of structured trousers look great with a slouchy jumper, or a satin skirt looks fantastic with a crisp white shirt.” The only caveat is that if you do mix, try to stick with a neutral colour palette — “too many colours and textures will look like you got dressed in the dark.”
4. Layering — The idea is to be versatile and build multiple outfits with just a few key pieces. He suggested things like layering a crop top over a shirt to create some structure or wearing a dress underneath a skirt to create a different silhouette.
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5. ‘A bag for life’ — “The perfect investment piece of a bag is one that you can wear day-in, day-out”, says Ryan, and styling it with your outfit can be an interesting challenge. “You can add a scarf around the handle of a bag to integrate it into the look”, and again, you can either have textures and colours match or let it pop on its own.
Credit: Cheshire Oaks
When we asked Ryan if he had one tip for those who have absolutely no clue about fashion (i.e. the person writing this article), he said that it’s all about “sustainability” and rather than just buying loads of fast-fashion pieces, the trick is to “select key items and make as many looks with them as you can”.
He also said that one thing he would always recommend is “a proper, tailored suit because it’s forever a timeless piece” and one that you can also spin into different seasons depending on the colours and how you accessorize it.
As he sees it, you can get “about 10 different looks” out of just one suit, so it’s well worth investing in a good one that you can then dress up or dress down.
It’s nice to see stylists like Ryan bringing the world of high-end London-centric fashion back up North and giving us a chance and the tools to recreate the trends and styles we see on screen.
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And last but not least, you can of course find pretty much everything you need to recreate the Barbie look, the Carrie Bradshaw look or pretty much any other style, be it one you’ve seen on screen or even just something more familiar to you at Cheshire Oaks.
Watch this space, we’re going to look absolutely mint this summer and so are you!
Featured Image — Warners Bros/Cheshire Oaks/HBO Max
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Massive rock, paper, scissors tournament with BIG pizza prizes takes over Trafford Centre this week
Emily Sergeant
A thousand free pizzas will be up for grabs to celebrate one of Greater Manchester’s newest restaurant openings this week.
That’s right – award-winning Neapolitan pizzeria Forbici is officially opening at the Trafford Centre.
From 11am until 12:30pm this Wednesday (5 August), Forbici will be giving away up to 1,000 full-sized pizzas, so visitors to the shopping centre will have the chance to taste what has recently been declared one of the best pizzas in the world without needing to spend a penny.
Following the opening of its first site on Cross Street in the city centre last year, before expanding over to Sheffield, this new 7,000-capacity Trafford Centre space at The Orient will be Forbici’s third restaurant in the UK and the second in Greater Manchester.
Crafted with signature three-generation ‘biga dough’, slow fermented to create a light, airy crust, alongside carefully sourced Italian ingredients, it’s no secret that Forbici offers some of the finest pizza in town.
Forbici is opening at the Trafford Centre this week / Credit: The Manc Group
And staying true to its name, every pizza is cut with scissors before being served.
The celebrations will then continue on Friday (August) as Forbici’s newest restaurant transforms into the home of Europe’s biggest Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament hosted by Manchester’s viral foodie content creator, Zack Hipps.
Across four sessions, you’ll have the chance to test your luck, speed, and strategy in a bid to be crowned champion – with tournaments taking place every hour from 11:30am.
Inspired by the pizzeria’s name, Forbici – which is, of course, the Italian word for ‘scissors’ – competitors will go head-to-head in fast paced knockout battles throughout the afternoon, with prizes up for grabs at every session and the winner of each game getting to take home a year’s supply of Forbici pizza.
There’ll also be a couple of exclusive local-themed pizza specials to celebrate the new opening too, including Forbici’s indulgent Manchester Tart pizza, and the Lancashire Hotpot pizza, which combines Fior di Latte, slow-cooked Lamb Ragù, and cracked black pepper on Forbici’s signature Biga base.
The Manchester special pizzas are also available at Forbici’s city centre restaurant as well, so you can feast wherever you find yourself.
Toni Dennan at Forbici said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring our innovative pizza craft to the Trafford Centre. To celebrate, we’re giving away 1,000 pizzas, inviting guests to experience Forbici on us.”
“Forbici is all about pushing pizza craft to new heights,” commented Forbici’s Toni Dennan. “Opening at Trafford Centre gives us the opportunity to share our passion for proper pizza with even more people.”
Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Forbici to Trafford Centre, offering an innovative pizza concept to shoppers and leisure seekers alike. With a huge giveaway and exciting Rock, Paper Scissors tournament, Forbici’s opening week is not one to be missed and we look forward to welcoming customers down to the centre to celebrate its arrival.”
Forbici Trafford Centre is opening this Wednesday 5 August, and bookings are now live online here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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A huge Stanley Chow exhibition featuring inflatable portraits of Manc icons is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Some of Manchester’s most famous faces are about to get even bigger, with a new Stanley Chow exhibition coming to town this summer.
And rather unusually, the artist’s portraits will be inflatables…
The huge new MCR Made exhibition is set to take over Manchester Arndale from 3 August all the way into the autumn.
Shoppers and locals will be able to admire 13 portraits of Manc icons, which will be up to six metres in length, whether it’s Oasis legends or Suffragettes, football heroes or creative pioneers.
The gigantic inflatable Stanley Chow portraits will be suspended right across the iconic shopping centre for an art trail that celebrates the figures who have shaped the city.
The impossible-to-miss exhibition features famous faces from the worlds of music, sport, science, politics, art and culture.
Along the trail you’ll spot the likes of Liam and Noel Gallagher, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Emmeline Pankhurst, Alan Turing, L.S. Lowry, Lemn Sissay, Caroline Aherne, Aitch, and a host of other trailblazers, all in Stanley’s signature and distinctive style.
MCR Made showcases the work of legendary local artist and illustrator Stanley Chow in an exciting new way, encouraging exploration through photo opportunities and a social media competition.
Stanley Chow said: “The Arndale Centre for me is my Mecca, and I’m sure it is for so many people from Manchester. I’m old enough to remember when it first opened as a shopping centre nearly 50 years ago, and I haven’t stopped coming here since.
Inflatable portraits by Stanley Chow will take over Manchester Arndale this summer
“I’m a proud Mancunian, so I was very flattered and touched to be asked to do this. Art needs to be seen everywhere, and not always necessarily in a gallery. I can’t think of a better place for as many people as possible from all walks of life to be able to see my work presented this way.”
David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Manchester has always been a city that outperforms and exceeds expectations. Through music, sport, science, politics, creativity and innovation, Manchester’s influence is recognised around the world, and MCR Made celebrates the icons whose talent, ambition and determination helped build that reputation.
“The exhibition feels particularly at home inside Manchester Arndale, itself a Manchester institution that has been woven into the city’s fabric for almost five decades. The shopping centre provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating Manchester, its creativity and the iconic figures behind its global reputation.”
Manchester Arndale will also be giving visitors the chance to own a piece of MCR Made, with 26 limited edition A4 prints signed by Stanley Chow up for grabs. Two prints of each icon have been produced, with winners allocated their artwork at random. To enter, simply follow @manchesterarndale on Instagram and like the competition post.
MCR Made will run at Manchester Arndale from 3 August – 24 October, and is totally free to visit.
Danny Jones -
14th July 2023 
