Each morning, Sophie Leah looked in the mirror and saw an unrecognisable reflection staring back at her.
She’d been taking strong medication to cure her acne, but it had come at a cost.
The prescription had left Sophie’s hair in terrible condition; stringy, thin and utterly untamable.
No matter what formula or shampoo she tried, nothing seemed to fix it.
One day, utterly out of options, Sophie decided to take action herself and created her own concoction.
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She did some digging around in the cupboards and found a few different ingredients that could potentially help, throwing some coconut oil into the mix for good measure.
Amazingly, it worked a treat.
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After a number of uses, Sophie realised her hair was starting to look better than it ever did before.
Sophie showed the results to her partner – who was equally impressed – and the pair came up with an idea. Maybe they could share this formula with others and make a business out of it.
They called their creation ‘Hola Coco’; setting up a social media account and encouraging friends to spread the word.
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Within months, momentum had gathered and the item was picked up by the tabloid press – being featured in the Daily Mail and on various beauty blogs around the UK.
What began life as a humble Instagram page has since blossomed into a popular brand, with their flagship product – the Coconut Oil Hair Mask – being lauded by customers as one of the best contemporary solutions on the styling market for dry or damaged hair.
Containing Coconut Oil and Shea Butter (which are said to have extreme hair nourishing qualities) the mask works by penetrating hair follicles, adding intense softness and silky shine.
The solution is left in for around 15 – 20 minutes (or longer) before rinsing – and is suitable for all hair types. It can also be left on overnight for an intense reparative treatment and shampooed off in the morning.
Hola Coco is also 100% vegan and ‘cruelty-free’ – packaged in recyclable 500ml containers sold at £29.99 a pop (lasting customers 100% longer than comparative products).
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The hair mask is stocked in several salons across the UK and Ireland and stockists have been recommending it as an at-home treatment to keep their client’s hair healthy while hairdressers have been closed during lockdown.
The look of the brand is fresh and exotic, but what’s catapulted Hola Coco into successful territory is the fact the product promises results. They are so sure customers will love their coco-creation that they offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
The success of the Coconut Oil Hair Mask has given owners the capacity to widen their product range.
Additions include the Bamboo Wide Tooth Comb – described as “working perfectly alongside the hair mask distributing it from root to tip” – and the Hola Coco Microfiber Hair Towel – which is outlined as being “extremely gentle on hair and super absorbent”.
The couple behind the brand claim there are “definitely more products in the pipeline,” in the months ahead.
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But for now, Hola Coco is committed to turning their little Manchester brand into a household name.
Interview | Chatting with the Manchester-based visual artist for the 2026 BRIT Awards
Danny Jones
BRITs Week 2026 is well and truly underway, and with the annual awards ceremony set to finally land in Manchester this week – the debut being just one of at least two years of the event in our part of the country – the city is teeming with art, music, colour and so much energy.
One of those people responsible for all that buzz is locally-based visual artist, Alex Giles. He’s been commissioned by Universal Music to create bespoke artwork to appear across their events during BRITs Week, including their exclusive artist showcase, BRIT Awards after-party and the invitations.
From creating some of the first-ever digital adaptations of his work to preparing himself for seeing a glorious physical re-creation in the form of a VERY big sculpture.
With the partnered War Child charity gigs now well underway across the UK, and people already planning their days before arrival at the arena, we spoke to Alex about what has been nothing short of a whirlwind few months for him.
Straight off the bat, how did the sort of project come around?
So I was working on an installation project in Ibiza for a private client, and you know, there’s no sort of union for artists, so we have to sort of create our own contacts and our own bonds.
I feel very grateful to have a lovely network of people like that, mainly through Instagram. Anyway, I was chatting to someone that I’ve become good pals with, an artist called Matt Dosa, who actually did the artwork in a similar context a couple of years ago.
Essentially, they asked if I could put together a sort of deck of my work and some initial ideas, and then out of the blue, I got the call back saying, “Yeah, we’d love you to jump on board and produce something for us.” It all happened really quickly and unexpectedly.
What a rush that must have been!What’s it like be wrapped up in the BRITs buzz since?
Yeah, but that’s often the way with artistic opportunities: something comes from nowhere. The initial race was to get the design sorted, so that was where all of the focus went to start with – which is a fairly familiar world for me – but this week it’s got even more surreal.
You know, I can immerse myself in a task and think about just that alone, but now it’s got to this stage, I’ve got this continuous low-level kind of… Well, I don’t know whether it’s anxiety, excitement, or just a bit of butterflies, but there’s definitely something going on, haha.
One of the main things I’m really excited about is just seeing my work displayed in so many different ways that I wouldn’t normally do; I’m a two-dimensional artist, I make paintings, so seeing it come to life in 3D, graphic packages and in various digital formats is really exciting.
Yeah, so for those yet to see any of it, what exactly can you tell us about the project and how it’s going to take shape in different forms?
The idea was that Universal Music Group [UMG] wanted to ask an artist to create something that is their visual presence throughout Manchester for the BRITs.
So it needed to be something that was instantly recognisable, something that could be repeated, something with a bit of pattern to it so it can be scaled, but then also something instantly kind of recognisable, and the word that was used a lot at the very beginning was iconic.
It had to be quite clear; there was a lot of back and forth, and I think at first I was maybe complicating things or overthinking things, as you can imagine for something this big, but eventually we started to refine it, and we got something really nice out of it.
Probably the most exciting thing is that there’s going to be a huge eight-foot sculpture of it [the core design] being made to go in the foyer of the Kimpton Hotel. There are flags, there’s loads of printed graphics, you know, little details like beer coasters and menus – it’s just going to be everywhere.
Incredible, and obviously, you’ve lived in Manchester for a long time now, so how special does it feel to play a part in such a big moment for the city?
You know, I’ve been here for 17 years, and it’s a special place that’s deserving of it. I’ve worked in the creative industries for nearly two decades now, and we’re very proud of what we do up here.
I work in the film industry as well, and there’s always a bit of a groan amongst Manchester crew when, you know, a load of people come up from London to do a job instead of hiring Mancunians, but any myths about the North are always dispelled quite quickly.
Yeah, no one can question our work ethic. What is it about Greater Manchester that inspires you?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Inspiration for me is like through osmosis: it’s a gradual thing, and it sort of steadily shapes who I am and my creative output.
I can’t just pinpoint any one specific thing about Manchester, but it’s a place that has had a profound effect on who I am, what I like, and what I like doing. I’ve enjoyed the fruits of Manchester to the full – probably a little bit too hard at times, hence these dark circles under my eyes!
Ha, glad to hear it. What about that ‘music being universal’ brief – how do you go about being referential in your work, or do you create it for yourself and just hope it connects with others?
That’s a really nice question, actually. So the audience always starts with me; I feel like if I’m producing something that I like, then hopefully others will also like it. It can be tricky at times NOT to try and second-guess what your audience might like. I think a lot of artists do that in all disciplines.
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But yeah, I have to be quite strict now, and make what feels right to me, because if I like it, then I can talk about it and present it with pride. I think with that, it will eventually find its own audience.
Love that – now, I know it’s a hard question, but if you had to sum the visual style of this work in just three words, what would they be?
Oh, come on, haha! Erm… OK, well I’m going start with that word that kicked it all off: iconic. I’m going to put the word ‘fruity’ in the middle – you know it’s bright and juicy – and I’m going to say the word accessible to finish it off.
Iconic, fruity, and accessible – I was never guessing that one, haha. As for the night itself, which famous faces are going to make you double-take?
Well, I know Pulp are up for an award, and so I’m from the era of, you know: being glued to the Brits and, you know, the whole Michael Jackson-Jarvis Cocker saga, etc. I think that’s a pretty iconic moment in British history, so I’d love Pulp to because I think Jarvis has always got something very interesting to say.
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For sure, and how do you think the spectacle of the BRIT Awards has changed over the years?
I think the shape of performance has changed a lot in the last decade. People really put on big shows, don’t they? Like it’s not it’s no longer just, you know, a backdrop with the band name on it, it’s pyrotechnics, dancers, massive visual effects, and so much more.
Last but not least, which of those big performances from that unreal lineup are you most looking forward to seeing?
I think, deservedly, up for an Achievement Award: Mark Ronson. I think that’s going to be great, and I’m looking forward to seeing Wolf Alice, too.
It’s not necessarily the kind of gig that I would go to, to be honest – I love electronic and a lot of older music a lot – but I’ve actually got tickets to see Mogwai on Friday as well, so it’s set up to be a very energetic weekend.
It was a pleasure chatting with Alex, and we definitely caught the extra tailwind of his enthusiasm, as if we weren’t buzzing enough already.
Like the man himself, a few members of our Audio North team will be at the 2026 BRIT Awards themselves, and we can’t wait to see all the glitz and glamour in the flesh.
Stay tuned to our socials over on Instagram, as well as our usual The Manc pages, to make sure you don’t miss a second of the coverage.
Happy BRITs Week, and for those of you going to Co-op Live on the night, soak it all in!
What a busy week we've got – board game festivals, new foodie openings… oh, and The @BRITs comes to our city this weekend for the first time ever too. 🎶🐝🏆
Microdot exhibit for BRITs 2026: the artwork of Oasis, Verve and more up in Manchester Piccadilly
Danny Jones
If you’ve passed through Manchester Piccadilly of late, you might have noticed two things: one, it’s really quiet, and two, there’s loads of cool Britpop merch and memorabilia on display, including original Oasis, The Verve, Inspiral Carpets art and more – all courtesy of Microdot.
Set up as part of the city’s own BRITs celebrations, along with a raft of other nationwide festivities, as the annual music award ceremony prepares to make its Manc debut at the Co-op Live this month, the showcase features special edition frames and more, all pride of place in the middle of the train station.
This collection, simply entitled ‘A Microdot Design’, is all done by the legendary Brian Cannon, the graphic designer and art director behind so much recognisable visual material within the genre.
We recently had the honour of speaking to the man himself in person ahead of Piccadilly’s temporary closure; you can see our interview with him right here:
The Wigan-born artist and visionary didn’t just make promotional materials for some of the biggest bands in the 1990s; he’s responsible for what has gone on to become some of the most familiar iconography in British music history.
With this pop-up exhibit available for a limited time only, we strongly urge you to go along and, for once, take your time rather than rushing around the station as you peruse the boards placed right near the main entrance.
Charting his work from circa 1990 up until now, it’s crazy to see just how many of Brian and Microdot’s fingerprints are all over so many different bands and artists.
From native names like Oasis, The Verve and the Inspirals, as mentioned, as well as the likes of Cast, Super Furry Animals, Suede and Ash, plus so many more, this guy has been nothing short of prolific over the past few decades.
Audio North took a little tour of the King Street South unit last year in the lead-up to Oasis Live ’25 reunion world tour, and we felt like kids in a Britpop sweetshop.
While this site has sadly since closed, shutting up shop back in July, Brian’s mini, modest, but nevertheless magic Microdot Boutique up in the Lake District is still standing.
Located in the popular North West town and tourist attraction, Kendal, it’s worth a trip there to see more of his portfolio alone.
Currently on display at Manchester Piccadilly ahead of the full 2026 BRITs Week and shindig at Co-op Live, it’s one of the best completely free things you can do in town at the moment – but the exhibition finishes on Sunday, 1 March, so make sure you don’t miss it.
Speaking of the BRIT Awards, if you’re wondering what else is on as 0161 gets ready welcome them for their two-year stint (at least), look no further…
The Manc -
21st April 2021 
