Mode in England

So the annual Chorlton Arts Festival is now underway, having kicked off yesterday. I've been coordinating all the press and PR (no mean feat, I can tell you!), and there's quite a buzz about the event, which celebrates its tenth birthday this year by running for a record 11 days.

Tonight, darlings, the Eco Fashion Show hits the runway (7.30pm, St Clement's), and it's free so I expect to see you there in all your finery. Here are some images from the show's look book - I bobbed in to the recent photo shoot so I could put together a press release (part of which is reproduced below for your delectation). Despite being a totally voluntary affair, the show is all very professional, as you can tell from the pics, which were taken by one of my Chorlton buddies, Sam Fairbrother. At the shoot, I got to meet stylist Charlotte Workman and rub shoulders with star designer Sadia Bashir, who has created red-carpet outfits for Bafta winners and has turned some antique kimono fabric into an amazing corset that will feature on the catwalk as the "wedding dress finale".




Chorlton Arts Festival celebrates its tenth year in style with a fashion-forward show...

Fashion doesn’t have to be throwaway and the Eco Fashion Show aims to put sustainable style in the spotlight at Chorlton Arts Festival. Chorlton’s hippest residents clamoured to claim the covetable front-row seats at the festival’s first-ever catwalk show in St Clement’s Church in 2009, and this year’s will be even bigger and better for the tenth anniversary celebrations. The free event, at 7.30pm on Friday 21 May, is being organised by Charlotte Workman, who says that everyone involved is volunteering their time because of their belief in eco clothing.

Charlotte, 38, lives in Whalley Range and works in the fashion industry. She says: “Having styled the first Eco Fashion Show, I was really inspired by the eco message and the interest people obviously have in sustainable style. I’m putting this year’s event together in order to showcase designers and retailers working in sustainable fashion in Manchester, and to raise awareness of what is available on our doorstep. We have some very exciting collections using recycled clothing, vintage textiles and Fairtrade fabrics. I’m keen the people of Chorlton take away the message that fashion can be responsible as well as innovative and amazing, and I hope they go on to support the contributors involved by buying their unique designs!”

Nine businesses are featured, including Chorlton-based Wowie Zowie and local corsetmaker Sadia Bashir. The other designers are Clothing With A Conscience, Vanisha's Design Boutique, Junk Shop, Love Me Again, Between Threads, Lilly Lewis and Mononoko Couture.

Photography by Sam Fairbrother (www.samfairbrother.com). Styling: Charlotte Workman. Model: Alice from Industry People. Hair and make-up: Sam Parker, Jemma Mcguire and Amy Uzell.