Inside charity shop on King Street selling designer clothes with £100s off original prices

A charity shop with a difference has opened on Manchester's King Street - boasting a raft of top new and nearly-new designer fashions for a fraction of their original price.

Style fans can get their hands on glamorous gowns from the likes of Nadine Merabi, Vivienne Westwood, Self Portrait and Galvan for hugely discounted prices thanks to donations to the Smart Works Greater Manchester charity.

The charity supports women back into employment and regularly hosts the designer pop up shops across the UK. But this is the first time they've opened one up in Manchester city centre.

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They've set up shop inside the former Jack Wills store on King Street, which has been sitting empty in recent months.

The charity shop will be open across Friday and Saturday for people to go and buy a bargain and help the charity in the process.

When the MEN visited on the opening day on Thursday, we spied bargains including Stella McCartney sports trousers for just £40 (RRP £130), Tuula snakeskin boots for £65 (RRP £265) and a Barbour full length jacket for £110 (RRP £379).

There's plenty of glamorous gowns for special occasions - including sequin-encrusted Nadine Merabi dresses and jumpsuits for almost half the price you would pay online or in stores.

A distinctive Vivienne Westwood dress could be snapped up for £120, while a stunning silver Galvan London dress was priced at £150, with its tags still on showing it was originally priced in store at £995.

Sportswear includes Varley tennis dresses and Adanola lycra leisurewear at reduced prices for the charity sale. More affordable items include a Zara leather gilet for £18 and pretty Joanie summer dresses for £25.

Smart Works have received donations from designer stores Coggles, Fruit Moth and Harvey Nichols, as well as from popular high street labels like Zara, Whistles Sosandar and M&S and some nearly-new high end items donated from charity supporters too.

Sizes at the pop up range from 6 to 22, and as well as womenswear there is also a range of jewellery, make-up, handbags and belts up for sale too.

Kay Truelove from Smart Works said: "We try to offer a range of sizes and price points to give as many clients as possible the chance to buy and support us. We have blazers for £20 up to designer dresses that would have cost hundreds of pounds at a fraction of that price.

"Everything raised at the pop up shops goes directly to help the charity. We support women back into employment if they've found themselves out of work for any reason.

"We help them with an interview outfit, and then curate a capsule wardrobe when they get a job of up to six to eight pieces of clothing."

The Smart Works pop up will be open at 35 King Street in Manchester city centre on Friday, April 19 from 10am to 6pm and on Saturday April 20 from 9am to 5pm.