A host of A-listers are set to arrive in Manchester for the 2023/2024 Chanel Metiers d’Art fashion show.
And ajhead of the star-studded runway, the city’s historic Thomas Street was seen being prepared for the arrival of ther glitterati.
The Metiers d’Art collections take place outside of the normal fashion week schedule, and a new city is chosen for every show.
Over the past few weeks, a glass canopy has been erected in the trendy Northern Quarter in case of any chance of showers in the famously rainy city.
The French luxury fashion house said it has chosen to present the 2023/24 show in Manchester as it is ‘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.’

A host of A-listers are set to arrive in Manchester for the 2023/2024 Chanel Metiers d’Art fashion show

The Metiers d’Art collections take place outside of the normal fashion week schedule, and a new city is chosen for every show
In recent years, celebrity regulars at the Metiers d’Art have included Pharrell Williams, Lily-Rose Depp and Kristen Stewart – who was recently snapped out in Manchester.
The city council has announced that a number of roads, including the high street between Copperas Street and Nicholas Croft, will be closed throughout the afternoon and most of the night ‘for an event in the Northern Quarter.’
A street in the northern quarter of the city has been cordoned off for the international catwalk and was closed for around a month ahead of the show.
Large metal structures were being erected on Thomas Street with cranes and constructors on the scene to build a warehouse-like frame.
The venue and details of the Métiers d’Art catwalk were kept a tightly-guarded secret – but according to local media earlier this month, dozens of boxes with the show’s name emblazoned upon were seen in the same area.
Businesses in the immediate vicinity signed non-disclosure agreements to prevent them speaking about the event, Manchester Evening News reports.
One business owner said they are having to close their doors on December 6 and 7, but they are being compensated for it.

A street in the northern quarter of the city has been cordoned off for the international catwalk and was closed for around a month ahead of the show

Local businesses have reportedly been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements around the event

Until now, the venue and details of the Métiers d’Art catwalk have been kept a tightly-guarded secret
‘It must be costing them a fortune,’ they added.
Since road closures for the construction were announced, social media users were speculating about the show and asking how they can secure tickets.
Workers on the sight said the structure will stretch from Tib Street to the High Street, with Smithfield Market also being used for the fashion event.
Signs at the construction site, which is being patrolled by security teams, state the road will be closed until December 15.
Chanel has an annual Métiers d’Art collection which celebrates the many artisans and specialists which contribute to its fashion house.
It’s reported that Manchester’s northern quarter has been chosen due to its historic links to the Industrial Revolution and the clothing industry.
This year, Timothee Chalamet and Riley Keough were made new Chanel brand ambassadors and in May, celebrities including Barbie actress Margot Robbie, socialite Paris Hilton and Spencer star Stewart attended Chanel’s Cruise collection in Los Angeles, suggesting Thursday’s show will be another star-studded event.
Chanel’s creative director, Virginie Viard – who took over from Karl Lagerfeld when he died in 2019 – will host the show in the city’s Northern Quarter.
Past collections have been held in Tokyo, Shanghai, Rome and Dakar, and the aim of the shows is to put the spotlight on the specialist ateliers acquired by Chanel.
A video posted by Manchester’s Finest revealed that the invitation for the show comes with a 12-inch vinyl record, as well as a Manchester-themed cashmere scarf and a magazine featuring the street sign from soap opera Coronation Street, which has been changed to say Chanel St.
Previous themes for the event have included ancient Egypt, Scotland and the 1960s – but this year’s theme has not yet been announced.
Previous events have been held in cities such as Paris and Rome, although last year’s edition was in Dakar, Senegal.
In September, fashion exhibition Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto – dedicated to the designer who established the luxury fashion house – opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
In the past, Chanel has chosen other UK cities for its collections including Linlithgow Palace near Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2012.
A film of the show is expected to be released on Friday at 9am GMT.