World-famous culture mag Off The Rails to give free lifetime subscriptions to people in Manchester
Global art magazine Off The Rails - one of the biggest creative platforms in the world - is offering a free lifetime digital subscription to The Manc readers.
You can tell that Off The Rails has some Manc in it. This is a magazine that’s always been a bit different.
Moulded by creatives rather than a corporation, it doesn’t look like anything else out there, and never really has.
But it’s the content that sets Off The Rails apart; the wild, weird and wonderful words and pictures within its pages.
Inside every issue, fledgling photographers sit alongside world-famous lensmen. Gallery art and social media snaps share the same pages. Daring editorials and images – the kind that other mags feel uncomfortable about posting – get full spreads.
The magazine is going to be available for Mancs, for free.
It’s a move that Manchester’s own Tony Wilson – the supposed author of the famous quote “we do things differently here” – would even applaud.
Molly Smith by Matt ComerMolly Smith by Matt Comer
What readers get, in every issue, is work they simply won’t see anywhere else.
Photos. Poems. Writing. Art. Illustrations. All new. All different. In a single place.
In 2014, Off The Rails began as a little more than a personal project – something that would prove to be a bit of a release for some pent-up creativity.
Co-founders Matt and Lee thought they were being overambitious when they came up with the idea for Off The Rails during a tequila-soaked evening in a New York bar.
But half a dozen years later, the party is still going.
“We were just trying to show off some untapped, world-class quality art from unknown artists,” Matt tells us.
“We had no idea it would get as big as it did.”
Today, Off The Rails has more than a quarter-of-a-million followers on Instagram, with thousands more following on Twitter and Facebook.
The magazine has turned into one of the biggest possible platforms for artists – presenting a space for aspiring creatives to rub shoulders with the famous and glamorous.
The readership is global now. International film stars and musicians are tucked between the covers, with contributions coming in from every corner of the planet.
But, nonetheless, many Mancunian fingerprints are smudged across the print.
Many Off The Rails contributors, stylists and models hail from home turf – and published images from shoots taking place at Heaton Park and Radcliffe have racked up huge engagement online.
Matt & Lee
Deepening the bond is the fact that Off The Rails struck its first commission deal in Manchester.
Matt and Lee applied an image bank for multiple brands in order to create graphic t-shirts – which ultimately went on to spearhead the company to dizzying new heights.
They’ve been returning the favour ever since, introducing world art to Manchester and pitching up a studio here so they can remain at the centre of a city that’s perennially abuzz with new ideas.
The magazine is always looking for new contributors, too.
“It doesn’t matter about your reputation in the industry. We invite anyone creative to send us ideas,” says Lee.
“It’s about the quality of the work, not the person. We’re different like that.”
The brand new issue of Off The Rails has dropped this weekend.
Use code THEMANC at checkout for 100% off your subscription.
Style
What people are wearing at Parklife 2025 – ruffles, leopard print, and not much else at all…
Daisy Jackson
Parklife is back, which means festival fashion is back, and Manchester has absolutely delivered on its outfit trends once again.
Every year in the fields of Heaton Park, tens of thousands of music-lovers flock to the biggest party of the year.
And Manchester loves an excuse to get dressed up, whether it’s donning a pair of hot pants, the latest trainers, or something as tiny as a bikini.
Gone are the days where people would just wear jeans to a festival – especially Parklife, which has always delivered a more rave-inspired outfit.
Of course, the inevitable plastic poncho has featured pretty heavily in this year’s Parklife wardrobes.
And we did spot one guy wearing an ankle tag as an accessory…
But here are five other outfits trends we spotted around Parklife this year.
Leopard print
Outfit trends at Parklife 2025 – leopard print
Whoever said leopard print is a neutral is my kinda person, and this is one outfit trend you cannot get away from at Parklife.
We spotted the same pair of sequinned leopard micro-shorts about 300 times on day one of the festival, as well as some other variations on the legendary animal print.
There were leopard print bikini tops, leopard print jeans, leopard print two-pieces and plenty more in between, and they all looked amazing.
Ruffle skirts and frilly shorts
Outfit trends at Parklife 2025 – ruffle skirts
Manchester got the memo – tiny ruffle skirts and frilly shorts are the ultimate festival outfit essential this year, if Parklife is anything to go by.
These have been absolutely everywhere, whether it’s lace-trimmed hot pants or pretty white tennis skirts.
Ideally paired with a little chain belt, we’ll be seeing a lot more ruffles and frills today I reckon.
Cowboy boots
Outfit trends at Parklife 2025 – cowboy boots
Mixed feeling about cowboy boots at a festival – on the one hand, they look absolutely 10/10 gorgeous stunning amazing chic cool.
But on the other hand THINK OF THE BLISTERS. What happened to a sensible wellington boot?!
We saw a lot of people walking around barefoot with their cowboy boots in hand by the end of night one, but at least they looked cute before then.
Sports shirts
Outfit trends at Parklife 2025 – football shirts
It looked like a day out at an American football game out there are Parklife – the trend for colourful, Varsity football shirts was all over the place.
The girls were out in bold red, green, pink and all sorts of other colours, matching their sports shirts with tiny shorts and boots.
Big fan of this one.
Crochet
A festival style as old as time, little crochet shrugs have been making a healthy comeback in the fields of Parklife in 2025.
As well as crochet cardigans we’ve spotted a lot of mini dresses and bikini tops too.
It’s taken over from the trend from a few years ago where everyone squeezed into a full-body fishnet suit and is a much more bohemian twist.
A local indie fashion brand is cleaning tired old trainers while handing out free shoes and ice cream
Danny Jones
A Manchester-based fashion brand is looking to give back to the community with a wholesome new initiative that will see a charitable trainer cleaning service swapped for a brand-new pair of shoes and free ice cream.
Nope, this is not a scam or some kind of prank, just a local indie label doing some lovely for the community and an important a crucial UK non-profit.
In case you’ve not come across the name before, we’re talking about rising sneaker makers KayKrepz, who are behind the increasingly popular model known as the ‘Kezy’, available in a select few colours.
Sneaker heads may have already spotted a select few pairs out on the streets of Manchester, where the designer’s story begins, but we have a very strong feeling you won’t get many other opportunities to get your hands on a pair of these for free.
The ‘Kezy’ in Earth GreenAnd in CreamA very fresh pair of creps, it has to be said – and who could say no to free shoes designed right here in Manchester? (Credit: Supplied)
Speaking to The Manc, creator Kezi told us that building a bit of a community and supporting the local area is just as important as growing the brand itself.
“I really wanted to have a shoe brand that people can afford to buy that are also still comfortable as well as look and feel nice, plus it’s a good way to gather unwanted items to give to Centrepoint.” We couldn’t agree more.
For anyone unfamiliar with Centrepoint, who have a big base here in Greater Manchester, they are a nationwide charity that combats rough sleeping and specialises in youth homelessness, in particular.
It goes without saying that collecting free articles of clothing is an integral part of their work.
So, with that in mind, Kezi and co will be holding ‘The Sweet Swap’, where those who attend can exchange their unwanted, old shoes for a free pair of KayKrepzAND a scoop of premium ice cream.
This is all in return for a free shoe cleaning service which will see those same trainers traded in, given some much-needed TLC, before being donated directly to Centrepoint. Love it.
We’ll back pretty much any small business trying to make it in our region, but it’s fair to say getting behind causes like these is especially easy.
Including the new ‘Butterscotch’ model, the Kezy shoe is usually priced at £69.99, making it arguably one of the most affordable high-end, top-quality trainers on the market at the moment.
Naturally, there will only be a limited number of pairs available and shoes handed in must be of a good enough quality to be passed on via the charity; KayKrepz’s Street Swap scheme will be operating on a strictly first-come, first-served basis.
Taking place on Sunday, 1 June at All Saints Park (M15 6BW). You can reserve your limited free tickets right now from the event page HERE.
Just make sure to leave your name and shoe size when signing up.
The Manc -
6th August 2020 
