Hosted in the fashionable Northern Quarter of the city, the event, which takes place today, 7 December, will see a horde of A-list celebrities and media descend upon the pop-up catwalk.
Chanel said it chose the old manufacturing city and former UK dance music capital because of its history as “one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture, whose bands spanning all genres, have changed the history of music”.
Attendees were invited with an exclusive Chanel package, with recipients including Manchester's Finest (below) taking to social media to show off the contents.
The package, as reported by Manchester Evening News, included a glossy Manchester-inspired copy of 370x300mm fashion magazine Chaos 69, which boasts that it is not a magazine, but a poster-book, a custom Manchester-themed gold, black and cream Chanel scarf, and a vinyl LP. The A5-format invitation features a die-cut sleeve that reveals the inner design.
Hollywood guests will be glad of the scarf, with Manchester due for rain all day during the event at 7°C, compared to Los Angeles' balmy 20°C. A perspex-roofed arcade has been installed to keep the worst of the weather off.
The record itself features songs curated by Michel Gaubert, a veteran sound director for the fashion scene and 80s regular at Parisian club Le Palace, to reflect Madchester’s unique sound.
The LP’s cover was itself designed by Manchester-born art director Peter Saville, co-founder of Manchester’s iconic Factory Records label, and cover designer for Joy Division and New Order.
