Lifeshare: An alternative A/W collection

In December 2023, Manchester played host to Chanel’s Metiers D’Art Show.  

The world watched. The rich and famous flew in.  

But with 15% of people in Manchester living in poverty, some in the city can’t afford to buy clothes, let alone high fashion. 

We worked with Lifeshare, Manchester’s oldest homelessness charity, to launch a clothing collection that didn’t cost thousands – but helped thousands.  

The A/W Collection by Lifeshare. 

When everyone was talking about the Chanel runway, we cleverly piggybacked on the conversation to announce a different kind of collection on the very same day. One where clothes weren’t a luxury, but a necessity – where the public could donate clothes to those in need. 

Lifeshare ambassador Maxine Peake launched the appeal to the nation on BBC Breakfast on the day of the Chanel show, and working with creative partners across the city, we delivered an impactful editorial media and OOH campaign across national, regional and industry media, as well as digital display sites close to the catwalk.  

In total, more than 20 million people saw the campaign, and Lifeshare had an immediate influx of donations. 120 bags of clothes were donated in a three-week period, a 60% increase on typical December donations, and they saw  90% increase in cash donations in December too.