Article By Millie James

Photos By Lightbox

Storm Dennis be damned, this Saturday saw the 28th St Andrews Fashion Show and its guests throw caution to the wind, brave the rain and escape to PlayHaus. Twelve hours later, after absolutely stacking it, with a foot five-times-the-size it should be, the Ninewells waiting room was, admittedly not quite the escape I had envisaged. Nevertheless, I would like to think that my own, personal experience of FS: A foot story (sequel tbc) gives me a unique insight into just how much of a success FS2020 truly was. That, and the interviews I was lucky enough to do with Andrew, Dea, Kimberley, Josh, Isabel and Hamish, a few of the models from the show…

Could you tell us a little bit about your role in the show?

Dea: My role in the show as a model was pretty basic – don’t mess up the walks and just have fun!

Andrew: It was my first time modelling for FS, which entailed quite a lot of rehearsals, fittings, hair appointments etc. (especially leading up to the show) but my role pales in comparison with what the committee had to do. As a model, all we essentially had to do was turn up. In this sense, the committee did a fantastic job ensuring that fashion, sponsorship, media, music, choreography were all done promptly and professionally.

Andrew

“Once the initial reveal was complete, the nerves evaporated and I was filled with energy and loved every second of it”

How would you describe the experience on the runway; can you choose 3 words to sum up how it felt up there?

Hamish: One of, if not, THE best thing I’ve ever done. As a collective the models and backstage committee from choreography to fashion all became such a tight knit group with a great sense of comradery. There was so much passion and excitement from all backstage with a touch of nervous anticipation as we lined up on the stairs to take to the runway for the first intro.

Isabel: I was so surprised to see how big the show was!! When I first got on stage, I expected to see people sitting at tables and not paying a lot of attention and then I see everyone literally on stage… insane!!!

Josh: Excitement, joy, relief.

Andrew: I remember looking around at everyone around me and mentioning how it was an honour and privilege to step on stage with all of them. Once the initial reveal was complete, the nerves evaporated and I was filled with energy and loved every second of it.

What did you think about the theme for this year?

Hamish: Very appropriate with current global issues- from sustainability to equality, it reinforced how powerful fashion can be in conveying a message.

Andrew: I think Indigo did a great job with bringing in the pop-up store and partnering with some great brands/designers at the forefront of sustainable fashion. FS is a large part of the St Andrews community and I am very happy that they chose to use their platform to raise awareness to a crucial contemporary issue.

Isabel

“When I first got on stage, I expected to see people sitting at tables and not paying a lot of attention and then I see everyone literally on stage… insane!!!”

Did you have a favourite designer? Did you get to meet any of them?

Dea: Malik’s brand is called Marikushimuzu (Fact check) and I really liked his stuff, plus I got to interact with him and he was a hella cool dude.

Hamish: Mariku (Malik). Malik has so much passion for what he does within the fashion industry. He watched all our dress rehearsals- and the real show- from start to finish. His energy was magical- electrifying. He sat at the end of the runway, between the frog legs, beaming up at us, instilling us with confidence and praise for our performance. It was very humbling to see how much it meant to him for us to be exhibiting his work and I wish him all the best for his future ventures!

Andrew: I really loved the Barena clothing. I think all the guys looked really suave in the clothes. As for the actual designers, I got the chance to meet Malik and he was such an amazing guy. Talking with him about his artistic vision and plans for the future made wearing his clothes so much more meaningful and I felt proud to represent him and his clothes (it was my first outfit too!)

Kimberley: I liked the Mary King pieces the best, they were made out of latex and electrical tape. My other favourite was the Buzz and Bartie collection, which was vintage designer items. Deb Carter was lovely, and her designs were very unique, I wore her cardboard dress in the show! And the Buzz and Bartie boys were the loveliest people!

Josh: My favourite designer featured on the day was the Mariku Shimuzu line. The outfits were designed and put together by a 20-year-old student from Chicago, who also came for the show itself and spent some time with us also! Meeting him was a cool experience, especially because he is someone our age already producing amazing things!

Josh

“The real winners are the guests who get to fully enjoy the show and see everything put into action.”

Do you feel like this show was on the whole, a much more environmentally/sustainability conscious production than previous shows?

Isabel: Yes!! Nearly every effort was taken to reduce the use of unnecessary environmental waste.

Kimberley: Definitely … even down to the goodie bags!

Andrew: Absolutely. Especially leading up to the show there was a lot of great initiatives and events that focused on environmental sustainability. It certainly raised interesting conversations amongst my friends (both FS and non-FS affiliated) and was even raised as a point in one of my Management lectures. FS certainly raised awareness and propagated conversations around the detrimental effects of fast fashion. For that alone, this year’s show should be applauded.

How was it different as a guest in the past and this time as a model? i.e. The on-the-night God tier (model/committee) perspective vs peasant (guest) perspective

Dea: Being a part of the show you really see how much effort goes into it and it adds a lot. As a guest it was a great night out but as a part of the show, you’re like “this is THE night we’ve worked for” so when it’s going, you’re really just riding that high energy.

Kimberley: I honestly love being in the show that my memories from being an audience member are so clouded. It’s such a 180 and there’s a thrill that only comes from being in it that can’t be matched. So as an audience member, 9/10, but as a model 100000/10.

Josh: To be honest, on the night the real winners are the guests who get to fully enjoy the show and see everything put into action. There are definitely a lot of nerves backstage and even more so on the production side, so being able sit back and relax is definitely a privilege in itself!

Hamish

“There was so much passion and excitement from all backstage with a touch of nervous anticipation as we lined up on the stairs to take to the runway for the first intro.”

Did having a behind-the-scenes appreciation for how the final show comes together detract from the overall effect of the event or did it make it that much better?

Hamish: If anything, seeing the behind the scenes side to the show made me appreciate the show so much more. There is an army of unsung heroes who make the show the success it is from behind the curtain.

Kimberley: My favourite anecdote is the fact we would all be dancing to the music behind the curtains, just jamming, and then we’d have to put on a serious face once we had to step out. We’re really light-hearted backstage, just having fun and enjoying the ride. Right before the second half everyone is doing last minute exercises and hyping each other up. It’s very much a family by the time the show starts so you’re really just taking the piss out of each other to make sure everyone stays comfortable. Nobody takes themselves too seriously.

Andrew: The behind-the-scenes action made me appreciate the show even more. Seeing how much time and effort went into everything made the whole event feel so much more special. In addition to the rehearsals and fittings etc., seeing the boys in the gym cranking out ab and arm workouts daily lent to the sense of solidarity between everyone, as we all recognized that we were all committed to making the show as great as possible. In a way, the understanding that we were all doing our best for our own personal reasons made me respect everyone.

Could you tell us a little bit about behind the scenes – the amount of time on hair and makeup, any rituals before the show starts & any funny stories?

Josh: The funniest part is definitely that an area of backstage becomes a dedicated gym space for a quick pump before going out! Other than that, it’s all tricks of the trade.

Andrew: Honestly, hair and make-up were a breeze. Probs sat there for 10 mins and it was all spick and span. Easy to be a boy with short hair I guess… on the day of the show one of the models was very late and not picking up their phone. The choreo team were freaking out and the stress was mounting. About an hour late, said model nonchalantly strolls in and reveals 24 Krispy Kreme donuts. Was he late because of the donuts, or did he realize he was late so try to placate everyone with donuts?? Perhaps we will never know – but the donuts certainly went down a treat and he was forgiven for his tardiness immediately.

Hamish: If anything, seeing the behind the scenes side to the show made me appreciate the show so much more. There is an army of unsung heroes who make the show the success it is from behind the curtain.

Kimberly

“We’re really light-hearted backstage, just having fun and enjoying the ride.”

Going with the theme, if there is one place that you could escape to, where would it be?

Isabel: If I were to escape to anywhere- I would escape to somewhere that I could escape the Scottish rain and get some sun—maybe Cape Town?

Dea: Mmmm like I’ve always wanted to go see the northern lights in one of the Scandinavian countries. I really really like the FS group so maybe could convince Daniel to get us up there for a photoshoot!

Andrew: I would love to escape to a nice cottage with no Wi-Fi and just relax, reading a book in front of the fire-place completely disconnected from the world. Alternatively, doing the same thing in the hot sun somewhere (replacing my fake tan with a real one!) Bonding over what food we want to eat has been amazing. Shoutout to Kat for baking the most amazing, mouth-wateringly delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies. Dea and I have also been craving cereal, and so we have plans have a cereal dinner (the best time to eat cereal) and watch a film. Can’t wait.

Kimberley: My dream escape places would be Singapore or Bali. Singapore is one of my favourite places to visit, and it is really one of the most sustainable places in the world, they sort everything, so nothing actually goes to waste there. Bali is very similar, small islands have to make sure to keep their lands clean because they have so little space. Both places are a perfect escape for me. I also love the heat and the rain, so they’re little dream lands to me.

Dea

“My role in the show as a model was pretty basic – don’t mess up the walks and just have fun!”

While I, currently sitting icing and elevating every few hours, am most certainly struggling to walk the walk, the FS2020 cast and committee were anything but. Despite the fact that all those I was lucky enough to interview were models, there was a consistent and un-faltering gratitude – awe even - for the blood, sweat, tears and talent showcased by those that stayed behind the curtain. On the night, a few glasses of prosecco down, it was impossible not to notice a sense of accomplishment, euphoria, that after a colossal effort of those both onstage and behind the curtain, not only have they gone and done it, but they’ve gone and done it in spectacular style.

FS was established in 1992 for students to voice their creativity and give back to their community. Today, they’re considered the longest running, largest and most successful student-run fashion show in the U.K. They’re mission is to work with and raise money for charities via their events and build awareness for up-and-coming designers with their Young Designer Award program. Over 27 years, they have raised more than half-a-million pounds in donations. This year, FS2020 partnered with Fashion Revolution, a movement that seeks to advocate, educate and collaborate across the entire supply chain, reminding us of both the environmental and human cost of the fashion industry.

Follow this link to read more about Fashion Revolution and the #whomademyclothes campaign: https://www.standrewsfashion.com/charity.

FS2020: A Conversation With The Models