Charity

The Manxie in Manchester Working to Help Homeless

Very much a friend of Gef, Rachel has previously won a BAFTA and was one of our first 30under30 winners

Published

3 years ago

12/12/2023

Very much a friend of Gef, Rachel Miles has previously won a BAFTA for her work on the BBC’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics ad campaign, is this year’s UCM honorary fellow as well as being one of the first Gef’s 30 Under 30 winners.

She is now working as creative director for the agency Meanwhile, Rachel spotted an opportunity to help Manchester’s oldest homelessness charity, Lifeshare and their guests, alongside actress Maxine Peake.

On December 7, Chanel’s annual Metiers D’Art Show filled the streets of Manchester’s Northern Quarter but just a 5-minute walk from Chanel’s fashion show are the offices of Lifeshare. Rachel reached out to them with an idea for a new campaign: to create a different kind of collection dedicated to tackling clothing poverty.

The city has 1 in 74 homeless – that’s 7,400 people sleeping rough.

Rachel said: ‘With the rich and famous in town for the Chanel fashion show, I spotted an opportunity to shine a light on those who can’t afford to buy clothes, let alone high fashion.”

‘Clothes aren’t a luxury for some. So while Manchester had fashion on the brain I reached out to Lifeshare to create a collection of our own – one that doesn’t cost thousands but helps thousands.;

The A/W23 Collection by Lifeshare launched on BBC Breakfast, the same day as the Chanel fashion show.

The initiative encourages people to donate their own clothes to help keep the most vulnerable warm this winter, giving ‘street fashion’ a whole new meaning. To bring the campaign to life, pre-donated clothes have been photographed by British fashion and portrait photographer, Rankin, who has captured an array of fashion megastars over the years including Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, and the Queen.

Having approached the charity, Rachel began targeting the media, Ocean outdoor donated a digital screen beside a gigantic perfume ad for Chanel No5 in Manchester as well as a loop of digital screens in the city. Fly posters were placed a stone’s throw away from the Chanel catwalk in the Northern Quarter and the Metro gave it a cover wrap to highlight the tactical campaign.

She said: ‘On the day we launched, Pretty Little Thing donated a van full of winter ski wear. Boxes and boxes and boxes. Even one shoe can make a big difference. A coat is a must-have for those who don’t have. No Such Thing As A Fish’s James Harkin also shared his support’

Part of the success of the campaign has been the role of actress Maxine Peake, who has been a patron of Lifeshare for several years and lives in the city, Rachel said it was great working with Max, who she said was ‘really down to earth’ and showed her support by donating new underwear and warm clothing.

With this being a time of year when Manxies will head to the UK for shopping and with Manchester being a favourite spot for many, Rachel is asking anyone who can support Lifeshare to do so.

Demand for clothing has risen 158% in the past year, according to Lifeshare. Clothing donations for their A/W23 collection can be taken to 27 Houldsworth St in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, located less than half a mile from the Arndale Shopping Centre and Primark (10 min walk).