Manchester is preparing to host its first Alternative Fashion Week from October 20 to 25, 2026. Designed to be a celebration of styles that exist outside the traditional fashion system, the six-day event will feature punk, goth, emo, metal, and rockabilly fashion taking over venues across the city.

AFW has one simple belief at its heart: subcultures deserve a runway.

Founder Leesa Bertram O’Neill, a Manchester Metropolitan University fashion graduate who launched the alternative label Pretty Disturbia in 2008, stated that the event is designed to give local subcultures a formal platform.

Image Credit: AFW

“Manchester has always been a city where subcultures create their own spaces, sounds and identities,” Bertram O’Neill said. “From punk and post-punk to Northern Soul, rave culture, indie, goth and countless underground creative movements, Manchester has a long history of turning outsiders into cultural leaders. AFW is built from that same spirit.”

“This isn’t fashion looking for permission,” she said. “It is fashion made by people who have never needed permission.”

Rather than concentrating on a single conventional catwalk, the schedule spans multiple city spaces. Afflicks Palace, HOME, and Islington Mill will host runways, performance art spaces, markets, and gatherings.

The lineup highlights emerging and established designers from across the north of England, including Romy Betty from Sheffield, Callie Holden from Liverpool, and Manchester-based Pretty Disturbia.

Image Credit: AFW

O’Neill states that she is launching AFW as a “community-led alternative, platforming the designers, artists, models and other creatives who have historically existed outside the mainstream fashion industry.”

Events kick off on Tuesday, October 20, with an alternative clothes swap at Islington Mill celebrating circular fashion and creative collaboration. Afflicks Palace will host live mannequins on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by a student fashion showcase and pin-up life drawing on Wednesday, October 21.

Major runway shows are scheduled for later in the week. SITU, located in the basement of The Alan Hotel, will host runway events on Friday, October 23, and Sunday, October 25. On Saturday, October 24, Gullivers will host a runway show accompanied by live music and DJs.

Also on Saturday, October 24, HOME will host The Black Veil Ball. Described as a theatrical evening of alternative fashion and nightlife, the event includes an independent makers market.

Image Credit: AFW

Alongside the official venues, the Dead Dolls Trail will place specially created dolls in independent shops, cafes, and bars across the city centre.

Organisers emphasise that sustainability, individuality, and self-expression remain central to the project. Tickets range from £5 to £27 and are available on Eventbrite.

“Traditional fashion weeks can feel distant, exclusive and inaccessible,” Bertram O’Neill said. “AFW has been created from the opposite perspective, bringing the audience, designers and creative community together.”

Find out more on their website.

Featured Image Credit: Alternative Fashion Week Manchester