Know Before You Go: Guidance for travel in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Pick up handmade trinkets
For unusual trinkets and textiles, ceramics, fine art and print galore head to the Manchester Craft & Design Centre. In the heart of the city’s Northern Quarter, in what was once a fishmarket, visitors can now find the work of over 30 designer-makers who sell their hand-made work from the studio.
Get fabulous for your night out
Welshman Hari Greenough is the man behind zingy new Manchester and north Wales-based fashion label More Lillim Than Eve. Prior to attending the prestigious Parsons School of Fashion in New York, and working in Paris and Jakarta, Greenough was brought up in rural north Wales. With the motto ‘She who leaves a trail of glitter is never forgotten’, this is one for the party people.
Stop by the outlets of leading designers
Wander down King Street in Manchester to discover the store of heralded British designer, Vivienne Westwood amongst other shops such as British lingerie designer, Agent provocateur. Fred Perry, an iconic British sportswear brand currently making a comeback, is on Police Street
Find everything you can think of at Afflecks
Afflecks is an emporium of eclecticism, a totem of indie commerce in Manchester’s uber-cool neighbourhood the Northern Quarter and above all else a fantastic place to shop for anything from top hats to tattoos. Keen shoppers will find cool skater clothing at Soho’s and unique customized clothes and home wares at Cindy’s House.
Find fine wines
Hanging Ditch is a small but stunning architect-designed wine shop and bar next to Harvey Nichols department store. Slap in the middle of the city centre, it has tantalising "fine wine" drawers to be tempted by.
Stock up on coffee table books
Magma Books specialises in books and magazines on design, graphics, fashion, graffiti, architecture and photography. A place to lose hours browsing the endlessly beautiful and interesting things on offer.
