Bolton Fashion Festival: Lisa Foreshaw PR
Fashion weeks are recognised within the industry as the pinnacle of showcasing to the world new garments from leading and emerging creators. Hosting the top designers from around the world and revealing the latest trends for the approaching season.
Paris, London, and New York have been consistent
regulars of the prestigious occasion, featuring the
world’s most celebrated designers and successful
brands…now Bolton has been added to the list (sort of). This large, industrial town located in Greater Manchester is set to host it's own toned-down variation of the global spectacle, organised by Lisa Foreshaw PR. We sat down with Lisa to hear more about her plans for Bolton Fashion Festival 2021 and the planning that it takes to run an event of this size through her namesake brand.
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Manchester is intrinsically linked to fashion, however, has not been given the limelight it deserves in more recent years. With an illustrious background in arts and music, there are unparalleled opportunities to take inspiration and create something unique. “I think Manchester is really up and coming, we have great businesses and fashion. I love being up North.” The work Lisa has been doing, with Manchester Fashion Festival 2019, is in effort to show people that the area has lots to offer. Hopefully educating people of the talent coming out of the North-West.
Lisa Foreshaw PR was established in 2017 and Lisa has made great progress in a short amount of time after transferring from another company and teaming up with couture designer Zeynep Kartal, “I met Zeynep eight years ago, we were friends for a couple of years before she encouraged me to get into PR. The excitement of the fashion industry is what drew me in.” The pair started to get their names out into the market, scoring events with the likes of Bolton F.C., Hotel Gotham Manchester and The CryoLab. Lisa is proof that hard work pays off, after having no formal education in fashion she prevailed to become a successful part of the community, “I don’t have a degree, so my success is down to hard work and a willingness to learn. All my children are going to get a degree, I just didn’t have those opportunities.” Through organising the event and bringing exposure to her hometown, Lisa hopes to help the area and bring some excitement after the hardships of the last lockdowns, “The day before the festival I’ll be running a day for kids that have produced things throughout Covid. They may not have known they were artsy or may have come from an underprivileged background. There’s not a lot of opportunities for the young people of Bolton.” While speaking to Lisa I realised that it’s about more than just simply running the event, she wants there to be a greater effect on the local people, and a lasting legacy. Lisa has worked tirelessly to
ensure that everything runs
smoothly leading up to the
big day. “The fashion festival
is a whole year of planning,
there is just always
something to do.”
Image Source: Unsplash
Image Source: Unsplash
The exhibition is hoping to shed light onto local designers, giving them a platform to showcase their work in the public sphere. Graduates from the University of Bolton will attend, as well as past interns of Zeynep’s, Laura Fitzgerald, who now runs ‘Blonde the Label’. Nadine Merabi-British/Lebanese designer will also feature at the event; her work has been described as “treasured and unmistakable pieces to inspire lasting moments.” Fellow Mancunian brand, Boda Skins produce stylish unisex leather jackets. The brand has a focus on sustainability, they launched a scheme called ‘Boda Buyback’ where they buy and resell unwanted stock from past customers. With initiatives like this they are hoping that they can set an example for other small businesses try to grow out of Greater Manchester. The show will also feature items from several local charities that are supplying hoodies for the runway.
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Diversity is a key subject for Lisa and her business, which is undeniable when you hear more about who is involved in the festival. The whole event is geared towards being inclusive. There has been a conscious effort to create an environment where all involved feel represented and accepted, “It's very, very inclusive because it’s important to me, it’s the world we live in nowadays.” Throughout each layer of production there are individuals from minorities involved, Melissa, an ambassador of the event, was born without her lower arm and has become a big part of theprocess. A pair of young down syndrome models will also feature on the runway, it's exciting to see so many opportunities for so many people in the local area.
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Lisa is an exemplary character both within her role but also within the wider community. As organiser of the festival, she is a credit to Manchester and the people who reside there. Hopefully, as a result, there will be a greater acknowledgement of the talent that can sprout from efforts like this. Why should London have all the fun?
