Style

Support independent artists as the Manchester Craft and Design Centre reopens

The Manchester Craft and Design Centre is reopening its doors every Friday and Saturday throughout August - othe perfect opportunity to support some local makers whilst also having a great day out in Manchester.

Daisy Bradbury Daisy Bradbury - 18th August 2020
Manchester Craft and Design Centre

The Manchester Craft and Design Centre is reopening its doors every Friday and Saturday throughout August.

A Victorian fish and poultry market once-upon-a-time, the Northern Quarter venue is now home to an astounding craft centre filled with studios and shops – showcasing some of the region’s most talented makers.

Not only is everything crafted on site with a personalised and hands-on approach, but you can also meet the makers (at a social distance, of course), hearing about their processes and inspiration when creating each piece.

As the director, Kate Day, rightly put it, “there’s nothing quite like seeing handmade work in the flesh and meeting the talented individuals that have created it” – and this is the perfect opportunity to support some local makers whilst also having a great day out in Manchester.

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Although Manchester Craft and Design Centre is home to various different crafters.

ADVERTISEMENT

Listed below are just a few worth checking out.

Jewellery

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Amy Wilkinson Jewellery – with its baroque-inspirations, Amy creates contemporary handmade necklaces, rings and earrings by creating intricate patterns and shapes with wire

ADVERTISEMENT

Charlotte Verity – these abstract pieces are all inspired by the presence and absence of light, combining precious metals, faceted stones and handmade glass elements in these gorgeous items

Clare Hillerby – Clare’s nostalgic pieces combine peoples’ old ephemera (often maps, stamps and postcards) with handmade elements to create deeply sentimental items

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Colette Hazelwood Jewellery – working in a variety of silver, gold and platinum, Colette’s jewellery is perfect for anyone looking for something individual, and her clients can provide the inspiration behind it

ADVERTISEMENT

Divinity by Eve Redmond – Eve creates a variety of unique, abstract pieces, whether you’re looking for something dainty or making a statement, and her consumption by jewellery is clear as these items trace many details and events of her life

RA Designer Jewellery – the creator of the iconic ‘marry me ring’, Anne’s speciality is creating stunning engagement and wedding jewellery that is unique to each customer

Tracey Birchwood – combining jewellery with ceramics, this contemporary jewellery collection largely focuses on the natural world as an inspiration for its dainty pieces.

Ceramics

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Cragg Jones Ceramics – Nicky and Sue have collaborated to create a collection of Scandinavian-esque pots, mugs, planters and other items that are both functional and lovely to look at

Katherine Lees Ceramics – these porcelain planters, vases and other ornaments are one of a kind, balancing her inspiration from the Victorian ‘cabinets of curiosity’ and love of animals

ADVERTISEMENT

Lee Page Hanson Ceramics – from crockery to vases and everything in between, these vibrant ceramic creations are largely inspired by 20th century modernism and geometric patterns

Linzi Ramsden Ceramics – inspired by Linzi’s repetitive folding of her baby’s clothes, her new collection ‘Origami’ contains delicate ceramic ornaments and wall art made from porcelain clay

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Glass

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Gemma Truman Glass – there is no absence of colour in these vibrant glass ornaments and gifts, a lot of which is inspired by Gemma’s love of nature and travel

Helen Tiffany Glass – Helen specialises in kiln formed glass, combining this with recycled and reclaimed materials to make simple yet effective glassware

Michelle Keeling Glass – initially inspired by climbing a glacier in New Zealand, Michelle has used metal leaf to replicate the patterns she experienced within the ice in her glass wall panels, accessories and ornaments

ADVERTISEMENT

Textiles

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

&made – Andrea Lord is creating a versatile range of gifts and home wares with a modern and fun twist, whether that is her adorable cactus pin cushions or bobble-hat tea cosies

Jane Blease – through her intricate and delicate embroidery, Jane is making elegant artwork, lighting and accessories that have a more contemporary feel to them

Laura Fray Bespoke – this selection of handmade bridal wear puts a unique spin on classic dresses, and is the perfect choice for something to wear on your special day

Paintings and Print

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Fibre – by using an acrylic mix pouring technique, Jessica’s artwork perfectly captures the flow and movement of the sea. She also offers handmade embroidered cards and gifts perfect for any occasion

Fir + Wren at Holm – these illustrative designs are simplistic yet don’t fail to draw attention, and many have been translated into cards, cushions and brooches

ADVERTISEMENT

Ink Inc – the illustrative duo, Laura and Jess, are creating a range of cards and prints from their incredibly detailed ink illustrations, from quirky characters to more poignant pieces

Kaper – Kate’s paper sculptures are outstanding and incredibly intricate, recreating woodland scenes and birds by hand that are a perfect centrepiece for any occasion

Manchester Craft and Design Centre

Make sure you head on down to delve behind the scenes of these handmade gems whilst picking up some gorgeous pieces for yourself!

The Manchester Craft and Design Centre is open 11am to 5pm every Friday and Saturday throughout August.

Learn more by visiting their website.

Style

Elle magazine hails Manchester as being ‘fashion capital’ of the year

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Manchester has been named a 'fashion capital' in a recent issue of Elle magazine. Credit: The Manc Group

Manchester has been likened to Paris and New York by esteemed fashion magazine Elle, which has labelled us this year’s ‘fashion and creative capital’.

While our city has long been celebrated for its, ahem, grimier subcultures (from raves to Britpop to footie), things have grown a little more fancy in recent years.

The global spotlight really landed on the city when Chanel chose Thomas Street, of all places, to host its prestigious Métiers d’art last December.

The jokes came fast, the rumoured celebrity guest list went into overdrive, but at the end of the day, it was an impressive display of the city’s fashion credentials.

And now Elle magazine has singled our city out for its present day cultural icons as much as its celebrated past.

In a feature written by Manc Becky Burgum, she pointed out that the Chanel show, rain and all, may have pushed Manchester into an entirely new era – one that’s a bit less about our ‘male-focused past glories’.

The glowing endorsement for the city’s current and future cultural scene spreads several pages in the glossy fashion bible this month.

It states: “Often ignored, always underestimated, the country’s second-largest city is manifesting an explosion of talent.”

In it, Elle sings the praises of massive venues like Aviva Studios, Co-op Live and the Manchester Art Gallery, as well as glamorous newcomers like Fenix and Soho House.

But the magazine also speaks of the ‘less polished Salford outskirts’ which is home to venues including The White Hotel, Paradise Works and Hidden.

As for food and drink, Elle’s piece describing Manchester as a cultural capital singled out The Sparrows, Erst and Higher Ground, all Michelin-recommended spots with their roots planted in the north west.

Over in the ‘Chanel-approved Northern Quarter’, it was venues like Stray (a beautiful cocktail bar in a corner of Mackie Mayor’s building), Afflecks (Manchester’s iconic, eccentric shopping emporium), and Band On The Wall that got a mention.

Night and Day Cafe
Night and Day Cafe
Fenix in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Fenix in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Erst in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
Erst in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
The Edinburgh Castle. Credit: The Manc Group
The Edinburgh Castle. Credit: The Manc Group
Stray bar in the Northern Quarter. Credit: The Manc Group
Stray bar in the Northern Quarter. Credit: The Manc Group
The Sparrows. Credit: The Manc Group
The Sparrows. Credit: The Manc Group
Band on the Wall. Credit: The Manc Group
Band on the Wall. Credit: The Manc Group
Yayoi Kusama exhibit at Aviva Studios. Credit: The Manc Group
Yayoi Kusama exhibit at Aviva Studios. Credit: The Manc Group
The Chanel Metiers d'art show in Manchester caught the world's eye, Elle magazine said.
The Chanel Metiers d’art show in Manchester caught the world’s eye, Elle magazine said.
Highlights of Manchester singled out by Elle magazine

Then there’s the Edinburgh Castle (best Guinness in the city, apparently), the ‘boundary-smashing’ HOME, and the upcoming Treehouse Hotel, all having their praises sung in one of the country’s most famous magazines.

The piece says: “But our (male-focused) past glories aren’t what makes Manchester so special – it’s all about what’s happening right now.

“There is often a blinkered, London-centric outlook that maintains creativity can’t possibly exist outside the M25. But how wrong that is.”

But, it concludes, ‘don’t forget your umbrella – that’s the only stereotype that rings true’.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Style

First-ever RHS Urban Show to take place in Manchester this month

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The inaugural RHS Urban Show will take place at Depot Mayfield in Manchester. Credit: Supplied

A plant paradise will be created at Depot Mayfield in Manchester this month when the inaugural RHS Urban Show takes over. 

The huge event – the charity’s first large-scale indoor show – has been created to celebrate the growing urban gardening movement.

Whether you’re cramming a tropical jungle onto your balcony or trying to bring a little plant life into your home, the RHS Urban Show will have exhibits that will educate and inspire you. 

You can learn the secrets to growing happy houseplants, see vertical structures for awkward urban spaces, and explore a seven-garden vision for a greener city. 

There’ll even be a horticultural exhibit celebrating the heyday of Manchester’s Hacienda days. 

The RHS Urban Show wants to answer the question of ‘what is urban gardening’ through this huge event, which will run between Thursday 18 and Sunday 21 April. 

Major exhibits will be filling the gigantic industrial space at Depot Mayfield, like the RHS City Spaces: Cloudscape, by Manchester’s Cloud Gardener Jason Williams, which will challenge local authorities and developers to think and envision greener towns and cities. 

The inaugural RHS Urban Show in Manchester will be a plant-lover’s paradise

It will bring together four balconies, each facing north, south, east and west, plus a north-facing shaded patio, an urban farm, and a communal garden. 

Created in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Rise programme and Notcutts Garden Centre, RHS City Spaces: Cloudscape will showcase how to bring plants into your space, regardless of needs, microclimate, or budget. 

Williams said: “The concept as a whole is an ambitious blueprint of how we can bring a city together. These are not show gardens, they are learning exhibits designed to teach residents, local authorities, retail and developers how we can all improve to make our towns and cities greener.”

Four-time RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal-winners GrowTropicals will be explaining which houseplants – including rare and exotic ones – are best suited to which home environment. 

Visitors to the RHS Urban Show will be able to learn the secrets to growing happy houseplants
Visitors to the RHS Urban Show will be able to learn the secrets to growing happy houseplants
There'll be exhibitions, talks, shopping opportunities and more at the RHS Urban Show in Manchester
There’ll be exhibitions, talks, shopping opportunities and more at the RHS Urban Show in Manchester

They’ll group dozens of plants together, from shade-loving plants who’ll be happy in north-facing rooms, to those who love a bit of humidity, to the sun-worshippers begging for a sunny windowsill. 

Midlands-based designer Amanda Grimes’ exhibit Pop Culture Planting: Punk Rockery, the New Wave and 24-Hour Party Planting, will be a two-part installation set over three years, showing a design at the time of planting, one year on and two years on. 

Her aim is to give new and inexperienced gardeners the confidence and inspiration to ‘just go for it’ by showing visitors what they can expect as a garden develops naturally over time, even with poor soil or rubble.

She said: “Punk Rockery hits Manchester in the same way the Sex Pistols did in June 1976, though possibly with less swearing and a bigger audience. 

“That now-legendary gig was the spark that lit the touch paper of the whole Manchester New Wave music scene which included the Buzzcocks, Joy Division/New Order, The Fall, Magazine, The Smiths and Factory Records, and went on to inspire so many more. 

“The installation is named in honour of all that creativity which was, and still is, uniquely Mancunian.

“24-Hour Party Planting is a celebration of Manchester’s thriving nightlife, restaurant and entertainment scene. 

Garden designer Tom Wilkes-Rios dusts between leaves of succulents on his balcony garden 'The Blue Garden', during build-up of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, Thursday May 19, 2022. The show returns for the first time in spring for three years and opens to the public May 24...RHS / Luke MacGregor
Garden designer Tom Wilkes-Rios dusts between leaves of succulents on his balcony garden ‘The Blue Garden’. Credit: RHS / Luke MacGregor

“It references the Happy Mondays’ track of the same name, and with it the hedonistic days of the Hacienda. It traces that legacy through to 2024 and the incredibly diverse, vibrant and endlessly creative energy of the Gay Village, Northern Quarter, Salford and beyond.”

The RHS Urban Show, sponsored by Mad About Land, also debuts ‘content cubes’ for gardeners with small spaces.

That includes RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2023’s People’s Choice and gold medal-winner Conal McGuire’s Urban Shade, which utilises modular ‘grow frames’ offering a flexible solution for growing in awkward urban spaces.

As well as all the exhibits to explore, there’ll be a programme of talks that will run through everything from cut flowers to juggling plant life with work and family life. 

RHS-run workshops where you can make your own terrarium will be taking place, and you can join a free guided tour of the neighbouring Mayfield Park. 

And you can browse through a variety of indoor and outdoor plants that you can take home with you, with pots, macrame, and even a new clothing range by Mad About Land for sale too. 

Lex Falleyn, show manager for the RHS Urban Show, said: “Urban Gardening is diverse and dynamic and the inaugural RHS Urban Show is an exciting opportunity to explore the important role gardening plays in greening up cities.

“We’ve chosen to work with a wide range of gardeners, from award-winning designers to community groups to enthusiasts who juggle gardening with day-to-day life. We hope this will bring a balance of relevant yet realistic advice to get people growing.”

The RHS Urban Show will take place at Depot Mayfield between Thursday 18 and Sunday 21 April. You can buy tickets here. 

Read more

Featured image: Supplied

More Style

Inside the Chanel fashion show in Manchester as its economic impact is confirmed

Business

Chanel fashion show in Manchester brought a staggering £8m boost to the city

Sephora is coming to the Trafford Centre in Manchester

Shopping

Sephora to open megastore at Manchester’s Trafford Centre next spring

Kristen Stewart sat front row at Chanel show in Manchester as fashion house releases full video. Credit: Rose Marley, @gobeyondmcr

Manchester

Watch – Chanel shares incredible video of Manchester’s Northern Quarter transformed into catwalk

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches