Elite tattoo studio inks deal for Manchester site, its first outside London base

A tattoo studio, known for its VIP clients such as Manchester United footballers Luke Shaw and Mason Mount, has chosen Manchester for its first location outside London.

The London Social will open a store at 9 King Street South in the city, the former home of Lacey Fine Art.

The London Social’s clientele includes the likes of singer Sam Smith and footballers Declan Rice and Kobie Mainoo.

It is taking up 2,200 sq ft spread over the ground floor, basement, and lower basement. 

The business is headed up by Miles Langford, who has been named by The Times as one of the world’s most exclusive tattoo artists.

Langford opened the exclusive ink parlour back in 2019, after identifying a gap in the market for a more luxury and VIP-endorsed tattoo space.

Known for its fine-line speciality designs, the new opening will host eight new artists, all from the Manchester city region.

Other studios include Fitzrovia, Soho and Angel.

Miles Langford said: “Opening our first location outside of London is a huge step in our business journey, but Manchester seemed like the obvious choice.

“A key selling point for me was the building and its location.

“King Street is known for being the epicentre of luxury in Manchester, so it was a no brainer for us to make the decision on where we would fit in best.”

He added: “An indescribable amount of hard work has gone into making this store one of our best yet, all whilst maintaining its Manchester foundations and we can’t wait for Manchester to get the experience that our London clients love so well.”

Holly Whitcomb, associate director at DTZ Investors, said: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome such an exclusive brand like The London Social to King Street.

“King Street is known for being the go-to place for luxury retail and leisure and addition of The Manchester Social will help to diversify the offering on the street, aligning with our ambitions to be a go-to destination in Manchester city centre.”

The Manchester Social will open on April 5.