Arts & Fashion
Just fashion
How Safia Minney is helping to drive a just transition in fashion and textiles.
17 June 2026
This article first appeared in our World Environment Day 2026 issue of My Green Pod Magazine, published 05 June 2026. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox
Main image: Gemma Gratton, executive producer of Manchester Fashion Week, exploring New York City during an ‘inspirational trip’ in 2022
Manchester has always created movements, from the Industrial Revolution to modern computing.
For Gemma Gratton, executive producer of MFW (Manchester Fashion Week), that legacy comes with a responsibility to lead again – particularly in an industry that urgently needs systemic change.
‘The ambition is for MFW to act as a cultural catalyst’, Gemma tells us. ‘We want to build something that not only showcases fashion but actively reshapes it – starting with our regional ecosystem. We’re creating a platform to connect creativity, technology, education and industry.’
MFW returned in 2025, after a 10-year break and a legacy of challenges around finding the right balance between public engagement and industry credibility.
‘Reviving MFW in 2025 felt urgent’, Gemma shares. ‘There is a narrowing window to address the environmental and social challenges facing fashion. With 2030 targets fast approaching, we felt it was critical to establish a platform now that could evolve over the next five years and beyond, contributing to real, measurable change.’
Gemma recognised there was a strong case for Manchester to have its own Fashion Week; ‘The city has an undeniable energy’, she tells us. ‘It’s expressive, unapologetic and deeply rooted in culture. Style here isn’t dictated – it’s lived. From underground scenes to emerging designers, there’s a raw authenticity that you don’t often find elsewhere. It’s a city where creativity cuts through, and that makes it very exciting.’
Manchester offers an interesting fusion of heritage and future thinking; it is a city built on textiles that is now evolving into a hub for tech and innovation – and that’s what makes MFW different.
‘A powerful convergence is happening here – across advanced materials, digital innovation, manufacturing and community-led circular initiatives’, Gemma says. ’What stands out most is the collaborative spirit; people come together, share knowledge and build collectively. That openness creates the conditions for real innovation – not just ideas, but action.’
Manchester’s spirit of collaboration was key to the success of MFW 2025 (09-12 September). Delivered by a very small team with limited funding, it was driven by community – people showing up, supporting and believing in the vision.
‘Now, with proof of concept established, 2026 is about building on that momentum’, Gemma says. ‘We’re expanding the programme, bringing in more pioneering voices and deepening our focus on education, systems change and cross-sector collaboration. Expect talks, runways, swaps, auctions, performances, exhibitions – a cultural sprinkle of everything that built this city!’
Click here to register for Manchester Fashion Week 2026.
Gemma travelled to Cambodia and Vietnam, often referred to as tailoring capitals, as a way to better understand production processes for her own womenswear tailoring brand.
Seeing the realities of the industry firsthand was a turning point. ‘The conditions, the waste, the disconnect between product and process – it stays with you’, she reflects. ‘From that moment, fashion became more than a passion; it became a responsibility to contribute to change.’
One designer who really stood out for Gemma at MFW 2025 is Malon Fashion. ‘His ‘Rags to Riches’ couture collection – created entirely from scrap materials – was a real moment’, Gemma remembers. ‘It challenged perceptions.’
MFW champions transparency, ethics and sustainability as everyday standards, but it isn’t always easy to find designers who meet the brief. ‘Many designers want to do better, but navigating materials, sourcing and ethical decision-making can still be complex without the right support’, Gemma acknowledges. ‘That’s why we’ve focused on building structure around this.’
For 2026, MFW has partnered with Collective Fashion Justice to introduce a framework for guiding designers through complex decisions; they will get access to a materials library and an assessment process.
‘It’s less about expecting designers to arrive fully formed’, Gemma shares, ‘and more about creating the conditions for them to evolve – with transparency and accountability at the core.’
For Gemma, the long-term vision is for MFW to evolve into a city-wide platform that uses fashion as a thread to connect people, culture and purpose. ‘Fashion touches everyone – it’s universal’, Gemma tells us. ‘Our role is to use that accessibility to educate, inspire and drive better choices.’
At the same time, Gemma wants to elevate local talent and attract global leaders who are committed to shaping a more responsible industry. ‘Ultimately, this is about building a movement – one that starts in Manchester, but has relevance far beyond it’, she shares. ‘If something is rotten, you pull it from its root – back where industry began!’
How Safia Minney is helping to drive a just transition in fashion and textiles.
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