Row after row of slinky dresses hang waiting to be tried on, a sheet of silk lies draped across the counter like a piece of liquid silver, while lace, satin, and sequins fall scattered around the room. Sexy celebrities smile out from newspaper cuttings on the wall - all clients who dash to this fashion haven for personal fittings before red carpet events.
And in the midst of it all stands the ever-stylish Vicky Martin, dress designer to the stars.
Celebrating 21 years in business this month, dressmaker Vicky can lay claim to being the queen of Manchester's red carpet fashion scene - and this is her empire. The headquarters where her team of dedicated seamstresses whip up the glamorous creations to adorn many a starlet's slender frame, from Liz Hurley to Tina O'Brien.
An unusual setting for such a glitzy fashion empire, perhaps. But perfectly suited to Vicky's personal mix of the drop-dead-gorgeous and the down-to-earth.
"Fancy a cup of tea? We're about to nip out on a breakfast run," she smiles, motioning to her team of machinists, some of whom have been with her from the start. Dedicated to Manchester, Vicky not only does all her designing in the city but makes sure her clothes are manufactured here too.
Relaxed in her working outfit of flat boots and casual trousers, she likes to keep business personal, still taking a hands-on approach to everything from shop design to pattern cutting.
Which is perhaps the secret to her success. For, over those 21 years her label has gone from a small clubwear brand in Afflecks Palace to established business with concessions in the likes of Selfridges, and her own boutique in Manchester's The Triangle.
Today, her dresses promise sleek chic for glitzy occasions - with Vicky doing personal fittings for the likes of Roxanne Pallett and Gemma Atkinson. Back in 1987 it was more about daring dance wear.
"I started just as the Hacienda was really happening," she recalls. "The label was born out of a personal desire to wear clothes to go out in - but at a reasonable price.
"Those first pieces were very `body con' - skin-tight lycra catsuits and hotpants. I remember going out in what can only be described as an all-over pair of tights, with a dress made from mirrors over the top."
No doubt the young designer was the perfect advert for her own clothes, with her slim model proportions. So it's no wonder business started to boom at her stalls, first in the Royal Exchange and later in Afflecks Palace. Add to that a stint in super cool London boutique Hyper Hyper, where Ms Hurley and Co started to snap up her frocks, and so a chain was born.
In some ways, she struck at just the right time, her clothes encapsulating Manchester clubbing cool. Nowadays, however, she offers something for everyone from party girls to prom queens.
"Our customers have grown up with us," says Vicky, 45. "We definitely started out as clubwear but now we just want to make things that make you feel glamorous and amazing. Some of my original customers still shop with me - and bring their daughters too!"
With a love of fashion that stretches back to her childhood, getting her first sewing machine at the age of 11, Vicky was originally going to study business and law - before ditching that course in favour of fashion and textiles.
Post-college saw her working with labels such as Whistles and Joseph before going it alone, deciding Manchester was the place to be. It's certainly proved the perfect city to pick up glamorous celebrity clients. Not to mention famous model faces, with Nell McAndrew doing one of her first shoots for Vicky in the 1990s.
"We've dressed celebrities right from the start - there's nothing they love more than looking glam," she says. "We really love dressing the Corrie, Hollyoaks, and Emmerdale girls. They always look fantastic.
"But I love designing for all women. I think as a designer it helps if you are woman because you can really appreciate what other women want to wear - I even try samples on myself to see what they are like."
She has, she admits, had some fashion horrors over the years - taking a fancy to Dallas-style shoulder pads and earrings in the 1980s.
Although, many of her pieces have swung back into fashion, particularly with this season's love of the figure-hugging look. Now, with a new website about to launch, and a bridalwear range promised for the spring, she's looking forward to a bright future for her - and Manchester.
"I really think Manchester is much more recognised as a fashion destination now," she says. "Designers are choosing to stay here. We're becoming a real force to be reckoned with."
She's certainly not considering a move down south. With husband Mark, a former model, and two kids - India, 16, and Oliver, 14 - there's plenty to keep her heart up north.
"I've always worked my business around my children, always taking weekends off to spend with them," she says. "Some people might think this line of work is glamorous but to them it's just mum's job."
As for the future, and the next 21 years, Vicky is currently busy taking orders from India's friends for prom dresses - with the possibility that her daughter might even follow her into the design trade one day.
"Will it be Vicky Martin and Daughter?" she smiles. "She's quite interested, so possibly." Maybe then she'll have someone to pass that style queen crown on to…
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