Northern couture

NQ STREET BEING TRANSFORMED INTO CATWALK F OR CHANEL FASHION SHOW

- DIANNE BOURNE

WORK has begun to transform a Northern Quarter street into a dramatic catwalk for international fashion brand Chanel.

Thomas Street has been cordoned off for the next MONTH while huge metal structures are being erected, set to form a canopy for the catwalk extravaganza.

Chanel had announced earlier this year it would hold its exclusive Metiers d'Art show in Manchester city centre for the first time ever this December. But the location and details of the show have been kept a closely guarded secret by the fashion brand.

The M.E.N. has spoken to a number of businesses around the Northern Quarter who have said they've signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) which prevent them talking about the event about to take place on Thomas Street.

The M.E.N. knows of a luxury hotel in the city centre that also claims to have signed an NDA amid extraordinary levels of secrecy around the fashion show and its high-profile guests.

Chanel has not yet publicly commented about the location. But the huge works now taking place in the Northern Quarter have been something of a giveaway to the backdrop.

In extraordinary scenes, the metal frames are being erected along the section of Thomas Street between Tib Street and High Street. On Tuesday these were starting to be covered by transparent roof sheets to weatherproof what appears to be a lenthy catwalk along the street.