Harvey Nichols A/W 2010 fashion show

Exquisite, beautifully detailed, timeless and comfortable. And that was just the venue.

Harvey Nichols once again chose the atmospheric setting of Manchester Cathedral for their Autumn/Winter fashion show, providing an evening of haunting haute couture for the city’s shoppers.

The bargain buy of the night was a £30 pair of Polo Ralph Lauren gloves and the most expensive, a Balmain feather cape priced at a whopping £4,530. I don’t think even Batman’s was worth this much, nor did it look this beautiful.

Looks for this season included simple styling using clean lines with a subdued colour palate for the ‘new simplicity’ look; plenty of wintery layering from the likes of D&G and McQueen; English heritage and equestrian fashion emphasising tweed, wool and fleece fabrics; digitally manipulated prints with bold colours and outlandish accessories, plus the latest and greatest designer T-shirt prints.

Going from day to night, rock-inspired styling featured heavily for this season, with the love-it-or-hate-it double denim look circa Jimmy Corkhill from Brookside in 1994. Slashed T-shirts, animal print, sky high heels, eyeliner and guyliner channelled punk rock, more specifically.

From rock to punk to goth, the ‘Interview with a Vampire’ theme saw luxurious tailoring, rich velvets and floor-length dress drama paraded on the catwalk.

The bargain buy of the night was a £30 pair of Polo Ralph Lauren gloves and the most expensive, a Balmain feather cape priced at a whopping £4,530. I don’t think even Batman’s was worth this much, nor did it look this beautiful. Still, those with a few hundred quid to splash out on that one special dress or token designer handbag will find plenty of designer ‘value’ in the Harvey Nics collections this autumn.

Special guests at the event included young Coronation Street actresses Helen Flanagan and Brooke Vincent. Melissa Walton of Hollyoaks and Kirsty Leigh Porter from Emmerdale were also spotted on the front row.

Helen’s studded Christian Louboutin shoes are part of the A/W collection, as was Brooke Vincent’s figure-hugging Alice and Olivia dress. Melissa Walton wore a Gold Grecian Style Alexander Wang dress and Kirsty Leigh Porter wore a red Paul & Joe Sister dress – all available in store. See the gallery below for a selection of outfits from the show, the stunning venue and party-goers’ pics. Oh and that very plush and pricey cape...