The Last Picture Show in St Ann’s Square was a haven for punks and fashionistas alike
The most missed independent fashion boutique in Manchester has been named. A survey undertaken by Faircado—a platform for consumers to find sustainable and vintage alternatives to everyday goods—has revealed the city’s most missed independent fashion store.
The fashion experts searched social media, newspaper archives, and blog forums to create a shortlist of the most discussed independent stores from the past 30 years that are no longer around. In January 2025, Faircado presented the list to the 4.7k members of the fashion collective Manchester Fashion Movement and asked them to vote on the fashion store they most missed.
With the votes all in, it was revealed that Manchester’s most missed independent fashion boutique is the legendary The Last Picture Show, which was located at St Ann’s Square. In second place was the recently closed Oi Polloi, and in third place was Edwardia, the stylish, high-end menswear boutique once owned by football legend George Best.
For those too young to remember, the Last Picture Show was opened in 1974 by Peter Photinopoulos and his then-wife Jean. It closed its doors for good in 1988, selling to Flannels. The shop was a fashion institution of the 1970s and 1980s.
One of its loyal customers was top TV star Anneka Rice, who was famous for her jumpsuits on shows such as Treasure Hunt and Challenge Anneka. The shop opened in a basement in Chapel Walks before expanding to St Ann’s Court in 1979.
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The Last Picture Show was a mecca for fashion lovers with an eye for the unique and extraordinary. It is famous for its eclectic clothing, quirky interiors, and warm, personal service, which defined a golden era in retail.
In March 1979, the shop made the Manchester Evening News due to its unexpected popularity with the city’s punks. With their spiked hair, bondage trousers and safety pins, they made a b-line for the shop thanks to their tiny coloured plastic clothes pegs.
The shop’s sales assistant, Janet Lewis, told the newspaper: “A girl punk rocker begged for one, and immediately clamped it to her right nostril and walked out of the shop wearing it.
“Two or three punk rockers have begged for them since. They’re intrigued by the bright green and yellow colours they come in.”
The Last Picture Show moved to its new home in St Ann’s Square the same year. In an article in the M.E.N in August 1979, following the move, the shop boasted “the largest range of trousers in Manchester,” from plastic to iridescent, cord, and, of course, jeans.
Inside, the shop was just as striking, with its 1930s-style décor, polished mirrors, wood floor, and paintings by the artist Frank Martin on 1930s and Hollywood themes. Many still remember a picture of movie legend Marilyn Monroe as an iconic part of the shop’s interior.
Many years after its closure, its former customers still reminisce about the thrill of discovering offbeat statement pieces that ensured they stood apart from the crowd. In an article in 2022, The Daily Telegraph’s Sarah Bailey recalled her pair of classic 1980s canvas shorts she used to roll up at the hems like Andrew Ridgeley from Wham!
Others reminisce on social media about spending hard-earned savings on statement pieces, including funky flying suits, studded leather and vibrant satin shirts. Many remember the shop’s unconventional ritual of trying on jeans while lying on the floor so they were easier to fasten.
Commenting on a post about the Last Picture Show on the popular We Grew Up in Manchester Facebook group, former customers fondly reminisced about the shop.
Julie Speirs Fielden said: “I loved that shop and the interior had great photos on the wall… I remember buying a pair of Banana Republic Jeans from there!”
Linda Hannett said: “Yes – used to buy lots of things there. I thought it was mega trendy. I got such a fabulous flying suit which everyone admired. Great memories of a great shop”.
Treysi Parrott said: “Had a lovely pair of green dungarees with detachable bib and leather braces. Sounds awful but was lovely”.
While Sarah Janus remembered: “I got some sarsaparilla lemon jeans from there and lots of other stuff that you couldn’t find anywhere else”.
Others posted with fond memories of the shop’s owners, Peter and his wife, Jean Photinopoulos, and the ritual of lying down on the floor to put on jeans.
Gabrielle Rossi said: “I had a Saturday job there. Jean and Peter were a gorgeous, glamorous couple to work for. We Saturday girls were each given a shoelace – if jean’s didn’t quite fit, customers would be invited to lie down and we’d thread the shoelace through the zip and help squeeze them in!”
Anne-Marie Saffer said: “I remember when trying on jeans you’d lie on the floor to fasten them and be zipped up. Happy Days!”
The shop’s former owner, Peter Photinopoulos, fondly reminisced about squeezing customers into jeans in his boutique. He told Faircado: “I zipped up more jeans than I had hot dinners.”
Do you remember the Last Picture Show or any other lost Manchester shop you still miss? Let us know in the comments below.