For a lot of Mancs, Parklife is the biggest weekend – and the liveliest party – of the entire year, and it’s one that requires you to pull out all the fashion stops.
It’s a chance to get dressed up to the nines, unwind in the sunshine (or rain), see some incredible live music and dance until your feet ache.
Many people heading to the festival spend hours and even days getting ready, and as the years have gone on, the fashions on site have become more and more bold and colourful.
The trends have moved on a long way from the days of denim shorts and band tees.
Now you’re more likely to catch people walking around in neon bikinis, colourful flares, and sparkling mini dresses.
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Though we can’t imagine we’ll ever lose the sea of bucket hats from this very Manc event…
Here are some of our favourite looks and fashion trends we’ve seen at Parklife 2023.
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Bright colours
Look, if you can’t wear your neon patterned unitard at Parklife, where can you!?
It always seems like the perfect weekend to embrace all things neon, from the hot pink one-pieces to neon socks to even bright orange combat boots.
We’re particularly loving all the thrifted finds this year.
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Novelty hats
How to make sure you can find your mates in a crowd 101 – make them all wear the same novelty hat.
We’ve spotted a lot of great headwear walking around Heaton Park this weekend, but this little army of matching sombreros is pretty special.
And how could we forget those golden arches cowboy hats…?
Bikini tops
It’s a festival trend as old as time – colourful bikini tops chucked on with the rest of your festival ‘fit.
We’ve loved seeing so much colour and creative combos walking around Heaton Park all weekend.
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And I bet these came in handy when everyone got soaked through this afternoon…
Ponchos and other improvised waterproofs
Nothing takes the shine off your festival outfit quite like a torrential downpour, and we got hit HARD by rain on Sunday afternoon.
The storm that saw the festival momentarily halted due to lightning risks gave Parklife-goers a thorough soaking, with some hastily adjusted outfits appearing to try and stay dry.
From bin bags ripped in to ponchos, to broken umbrellas held overhead like a blanket, to a cardboard box on a head, Mancs thought of everything.
This guy…
Did we ask this man to strip off? No. Could we stop him? Also no.
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But what better way to embody the free spirit of a festival than by stripping down to your kecks?!
We loved his original 90s-printed cycle shorts almost as much as we loved his shiny purple briefs, to be honest.
Clashing prints and bold accessories
We’ve found them – the two coolest people at Parklife 2023.
While you spend a lot of the day playing spot-the-difference with the waves of outfits purchased from Shein or PLT, this pair really stood out from the crowd with their colourful choice of accessories.
10/10, no amends.
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Pink EVERYTHING
The pink fluffy cowboy hat is now a festival and summer gig staple – you see droves of them heading into gigs like Harry Styles and Beyonce every summer.
We’re really enjoying how much the Parklife crew have embraced the matching pink outfits though, with this lot all marching around in top-to-toe pink ‘fits.
Stunning huns.
Cargo pants
This has been the year where teeny tiny shorts have started to be phased out in favour of proper utility wear.
Sturdy, comfortable, and seriously stylish when paired with crop tops and bold colours, there’s been masses of cargo shorts walking around Parklife this year.
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Matchy-matchy with your bestie
For a lot of Parklife-goers, getting ready is part of the fun with it. You crack open a drink, slap on your makeup, make TikToks and compare outfits.
So we’ve loved seeing all the coordinated outfits friends have been rocking this year.
Chanel addresses why Manchester has been chosen for its prestigious fashion show
Daisy Jackson
Even though it’s been the talk of the town for months, it feels weird to write that Chanel is bringing one of its prestigious fashion shows to Manchester – and now they’ve explained why our city was chosen.
Chanel will be the first major luxury fashion house to show in Manchester, which is a pretty huge deal.
The world’s most famous designer brand will be using Thomas Street to showcase its prestigious Métiers d’art show, which has previously taken place in settings like a pontoon moored in Shanghai’s Huangpu river and a lavish banquet setting in a Parisian palace.
Plenty of us have made jokes about Jennifer Lawrence in Terrace, Timothee Chalamet grabbing lunch at This n That, or Kim Kardashian doing sambuca shots in Cane & Grain – but now that Chanel has explained its reasons for choosing Manchester, we’re feeling pretty proud.
The brand explained today that ‘creative dialogue is at the heart of every Métiers d’art collection’ and that the show connects ‘artists and friends of the House, cities and cultures’.
It then stated: “CHANEL has chosen to present the 2023/24 Métiers d’art show in Manchester, one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music.”
Chanel also confirmed that the poster that’s being used was designed by the legendary Manc Peter Saville.
They even chose a New Order song to soundtrack the first promotional video to be released about the show this Thursday.
Early rehearsals are beginning in town today with music blasting across the Northern Quarter along with lighting tests, and what appears to be a red carpet walkway being built.
The brand’s Instagram page has now been flooded with excited messages from fans, with one writing: “ITS ACTUALLY HAPPENING! In OUR city!!!!!!!!”
Chanel’s full statement read: “Creative dialogue is at the heart of every CHANEL Métiers d’art collection. It lies within the work between Artistic Director of the Fashion collections Virginie Viard, the ateliers at rue Cambon, the Maisons d’art at 𝘭𝘦19M, and connects artists and friends of the House, cities and cultures, season after season.
“CHANEL has chosen to present the 2023/24 Métiers d’art show in Manchester, one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one, whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music.
“The film of the show will be revealed on Friday, December 8th 2023 at 9am Manchester time, 10am Paris time.
“‘MCR’ designed by artist Peter Saville on the occasion of the show.”
Now all we’re gagging to know about is which famous faces will be gracing the front row.
Chanel has finally teased details of its Manchester fashion show – including when you can watch it
Daisy Jackson
In case you’d somehow not noticed, Chanel is heading to Manchester this week – and the fashion house has finally teased a few details.
The world’s most iconic designer brand has remained tight-lipped on the plans for its Metiers d’Art show, despite beginning construction on a massive structure in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
Chanel is set to bring high-fashion models and famous faces to Thomas Street, with reports suggesting all the five-star hotels in Manchester have been booked out.
Over the weekend, the brand finally publicly acknowledged the location for its fashion show for the first time.
They posted a teaser on their Instagram stories, including details of where people will be able to watch the show after the event.
Chanel shared a collage poster on Instagram that includes a Suffragette march, Hacienda stripes and ravers, and Kevin Cummins’ iconic photograph of Joy Division. So far, so Manc.
The poster reads: “Chanel 2023/24. Métiers D’Art show. Manchester MCR.”
Chanel then appeared to confirm that the show will be recorded and published live to the public the following day.
They added: “The film of the show will be revealed on Friday, December 8th at 9am Manchester time, 10am Paris time.”
Chanel’s post promoting its Metiers D’Art show in Manchester
Excitement is seriously starting to build now, with the huge overhead canopy along Thomas Street taking shape.
The road through the Northern Quarter will be closed for an entire month for the event and the construction around it, with the show itself taking place on Thursday 7 December.
It’s thought the show will have a ‘significant’ positive impact on the city’s night time economy too, with Sacha Lord writing: “Not only will Manchester be globally showcased this week, but the knock on effect on the night time economy will be significant.
“Most hotels booked out and many restaurants at max capacity already, creating many extra hours for staff.”
Previous settings for the Chanel Métiers D’Art fashion show have included a pontoon moored in Shanghai’s Huangpu river and a lavish banquet setting in a Parisian palace.
Chanel always chooses cities that are linked to its history, then themes the show around that, so Manchester’s cotton trade history is likely to feature heavily.
Daisy Jackson -
11th June 2023 
