Middleton woman launches Manchester's first Alternative Fashion Week

A Middleton woman is launching a six-day alternative fashion week featuring designers, artists and performers at venues across Manchester.

Leesa Bertram O’Neill founded Alternative Fashion Week Manchester, which will run from October 20 to 25 and include runway shows, markets, live music and other events.

The Manchester Metropolitan University fashion graduate launched alternative fashion house Pretty Disturbia in 2008 and has now created the new event to provide a platform for people working outside mainstream fashion.

Designers taking part will include Pretty Disturbia from Manchester, Romy Betty from Sheffield and Callie Holden from Liverpool.

Leesa said: “At its heart, AFW is about who gets to be seen. Traditional fashion weeks can feel distant, exclusive and inaccessible. AFW has been created from the opposite perspective: bringing the audience, designers and creative community together.”

Events will take place at venues including Affleck’s Palace, HOME, Islington Mill, Gullivers and SITU at The Alan Hotel.

The programme begins on Tuesday 20 October with an alternative clothes swap at Islington Mill and live mannequins at Affleck's Palace.

Affleck's will also host life drawing and a student fashion showcase on Wednesday 21 October, followed by another live mannequin event on Thursday.

Runway shows are planned at SITU on Friday 23 October, Gullivers on Saturday 24 October and SITU again on Sunday 25 October.

HOME will host the Black Veil Ball on Saturday 24 October, combining alternative fashion and performances with an independent makers' night market.

An interactive Dead Dolls Trail will also place specially created dolls in independent shops, cafés and bars around Manchester city centre.

Leesa said she wanted the programme to be “less like a traditional fashion week and more like Manchester’s alternative creative world taking over the city for six days in a unique, creative way.”

She added: “Manchester has always been a city where subcultures create their own spaces, sounds and identities.

“From punk and post-punk to Northern Soul, rave culture, indie, goth and countless underground creative movements, Manchester has a long history of turning outsiders into cultural leaders.

“AFW is built from that same spirit.”

Tickets for individual events are priced between £5 and £27.

Alternative Fashion Week Manchester runs from Tuesday 20 October until Sunday 25 October. Further information is available at https://www.alternativefashionweekmcr.com/