Forget Paris v Milan, it's North West fashionistas at war as Cheshire Fashion Week take legal action against organisers of event in market town

By ISAAC CROWSON and RICHARD MARSDEN, GENERAL REPORTER Published: 14:26, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 14:29, 24 August 2026 It's the well-heeled corner of Britain beloved by Premier League footballers and their WAGs, where designer boutiques, supercars and sprawling mansions are all part of the scenery. But forget Paris v Milan, it seems there is room for only one fashion week on the Cheshire catwalk. The company behind Cheshire Fashion Week launched legal action after the town council in affluent Knutsford held their own Fashion Week earlier this year. The dispute has reached the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, where Cheshire Fashion Week Limited's initial claim was dismissed but it has now lodged an appeal. Locals said the court action was ‘ridiculous’ while the town council said that all it wanted to do was ‘showcase’ local businesses, adding its event was ‘not a threat to anyone’. Sally Feeke, of Zapatos, a shoe shop which took part in Knutsford Fashion Week, said: ‘It's a ridiculous situation. ‘It upsets me, especially if we have to stop doing it. It's something to really look forward to. All the shops do quite well out of it. ‘We're not some threat to the fashion industry, we're just trying to do something positive for our town.’ A model shows off an outfit from a local boutique during a show for Knutsford Fashion Week  Cheshire Fashion Week attracted large crowds to its show at Chester Cathedral and Town Hall Cheshire Fashion Week is the creation of fashion entrepreneur Claire Namukolo Raven, who launched the event with ambitions to put the county on the international fashion map. Alongside running the event, Ms Raven is studying for a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Chester. She has previously spoken of combining her interests in law and fashion and pursuing a possible career as a solicitor or barrister. Ms Raven is also the founder of Hair Heals Organisation, which raises awareness of alopecia through fashion and the arts. The first Cheshire Fashion event was held in 2019 and its website now describes it as the 'UK's leading independent fashion week platform' and 'The North's Biggest Fashion Week'. The company owns the registered trademark to its name, covering services including fashion shows, festivals, promotional events, competitions and other special events. Promotional material surrounding the event has been similarly ambitious, invoking the great fashion capitals and talking of establishing Cheshire as a leading fashion destination. However, Cheshire Fashion Week Ltd files accounts as a micro-company, while the event's own history says its inaugural two-day show attracted only around 300 people. Cheshire Fashion Week organisers filed an intellectual property claim against Knutsford Town Council alleging trademark infringement By 2021, organisers say, that figure had increased to 600 visitors over two days. But the event has continued to expand its ambitions and this year's Cheshire Fashion Week is due to take place at Chester Cathedral in less than a fortnight. Organisers have announced designers from Britain and overseas, while Porsche Centre Wilmslow is among the commercial names associated with the event. Knutsford Town Council, meanwhile, held what it described as the first Knutsford Fashion Week in May, with more than 16 independent retailers taking part in days of events culminating in a catwalk show. The town council says its fashion week developed from an earlier event called 'Flash Fashion', which was designed to promote independent retailers in the town. This year's revamped Knutsford Fashion Week ran over five days in May and included styling events and activities before ending with a catwalk show involving 16 local businesses. The council hailed the inaugural event as a success, and has already announced that Knutsford Fashion Week will return in 2027. The Knutsford event was organised to 'raise the profile of local businesses' in the town centre Colin Banks, chairman of the Knutsford Town Council community committee, said he was ‘aware’ of the legal action but added: ‘We're not a threat to the fashion industry. ‘It's a nice event in the town to raise the profile of local businesses. ‘The models are all volunteers and are local residents.' The unlikely fashion feud is unfolding in a part of Cheshire synonymous with the extraordinary wealth of Premier League football. Knutsford and the surrounding towns and villages sit within easy reach of Manchester's two giant clubs and have long proved popular with players and their families. The wider area is famous for its multi-million-pound mansions, expensive restaurants, luxury cars and designer shopping, while the so-called Cheshire Golden Triangle has become shorthand for the lavish lifestyles of some of the North West's best-paid football stars and their wives. Knutsford itself has attracted a roll-call of Premier League stars, with England internationals Jordan Pickford, Jordan Henderson and John Stones among those who have made their homes in the area. Knutsford Town Council said it has run a fashion event annually since 2019 ‘to provide a platform for our local fashion shops to promote themselves and support the vitality of our high street’. The council said: ‘Following the success of the previous single-day event under the name Knutsford Flash Fashion, the event was expanded to a full week of fashion activity and we renamed the event Knutsford Fashion Week for 2026. ‘After the announcement of our 2026 Knutsford Fashion Week event, we received correspondence from Cheshire Fashion Week Limited, a company which runs a fashion week event in Chester and which, since November 2025, has held a trademark for “Cheshire Fashion Week”.  'Cheshire Fashion Week alleged trademark infringement and passing off, claiming a monopoly on communities in Cheshire holding fashion week events. ‘Knutsford Town Council disagreed with their argument and proceeded with its successful Knutsford Fashion Week in early May. It comprised a week of offers and minor events hosted by small businesses and culminated in a free fashion show. ‘Cheshire Fashion Week commenced litigation with a claim at the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. The Town Council robustly defended the claim.  'At a hearing on 4th August, Cheshire Fashion Week’s claim was dismissed. Cheshire Fashion Week has subsequently submitted an appeal.' Town Clerk Adam Keppel-Green added: ‘Our Knutsford Fashion Week event is one of the ways we work to support our town centre – it’s a small, locally focused initiative that celebrates the fashion you can find at our independent traders. ‘We were pleased that the court found in our favour and dismissed the claim in its entirety. However, as Cheshire Fashion Week has now submitted an appeal against the court’s dismissal of their claim, we cannot comment further on the matter.’ Cheshire Fashion Week Limited has been contacted for comment.