CATWALK 2020: Sarah gets drunk at another fashion show

Review by Sarah McCorie

Interview with Catwalk Director, Isi-Webb Jenkins and models by Sarah McCorie

Having emerged from a two-day hang, our catwalk first-timer, Sarah re-lives the event.

If the sound of free drinks, classic throwbacks, some rogue fashion choices, and shirtless models in kilts (a la Outlander) sounds right up your street, then you missed out on a night to remember at the 2020 Catwalk Annual Fashion Show. Catwalk is the only student fashion show in St. Andrews to give 100% of its revenue to its charities, (this year: The Yard Fife, CALM, and Women for Women International). Though this is obviously an admirable achievement, I wondered how Catwalk could achieve the same sense of occasion and professionalism demonstrated by larger shows with a much larger budget. However, almost immediately after arriving, it was clear I would stand corrected. While past fashion shows have elected darker, more serious themes, this year Catwalk promised a night of fun and celebration, embracing the creativity of the fashion industry with the theme ‘Playtime’. Arriving with just enough time to take advantage of the free cupcake situation, it was clear the more celebratory, playful theme was reflected in the joyous excitement of the pre-show atmosphere as the last guests gathered in around the stage, where flashing lights and bright colours projected across the large ‘Playtime’ sign helped to build anticipation.

As the show began, and guests realised the music would consist of throwbacks ranging from The Black Eyed Peas to Aretha Franklin, the fun and celebration in the crowd only grew stronger, as people cheered on the models and danced along with the show. The playfulness of the theme was also reflected in the attitude on stage; while the models initially tried to hold straight faces, as the fashion got more extravagant and the crowd got louder, the fun proved too infectious for the models to suppress their grins. The choreography also allowed for a less serious, celebratory show. Well planned and executed, the choreography displayed the fashion to full advantage and provided an aesthetically pleasing show, while poking fun at the seriousness of other fashion shows by including a few funny poses. Fashion ranged from outfits guests might think of wearing, to Katy-Perry esque pointed bras, extravagant headsets, and of course, the kilts (thank you). Each designer’s name was also displayed on screens around the stage.

“The fun proved too infectious for the models to suppress their grins”

The show also reflected Catwalk’s emphasis on the importance of diversity, with models representing a range of heights, sizes and ethnicities, celebrating not only the artistry of the fashion, but of beauty in all its forms. Speaking to the director of Catwalk 2020 Isi Webb Jenkins before the show, it was clear that diversity was a major priority for the Catwalk team:

“Diversity is obviously massively important— fashion shows can be elitist, selectionist, and the reality is we only have twenty-four models, so there’s always going to be people that get turned away, and some sort of selection process that leads to people feeling left out. It’s a horrid feeling! So, we just try to make sure that it’s not all the same sort of people that are getting rejected. It’s so important— especially at this university, especially in the fashion show scene. In a weird way, models are idolised, and Catwalk in some ways kind of perpetuates it! You know we have the big jackets with ‘Catwalk’ on the back, we’re a bit of a gang or a clique, which is so much fun to be part of and makes it feel like a real family. But, it can create an ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is a perception of the superiority of models— they’re up above you, you’re looking up at them like ‘oh my gosh their bodies are so good’ etc. So, we try to encourage diversity on the runway. I remember someone at the launch said “Oh, they look like real people” and I really enjoyed that, I think it’s better and it makes it more fun. It also encourages people to want to be part of it in the future.’

Most fashion shows in St. Andrews are held in special locations like Lower College Lawn or Anstruther, adding to the sense of occasion and excitement surrounding the events. So, I was unsure if Catwalk’s being in the union would detract from the occasion, or make it feel like just another night in 601. However, while the show was definitely more casual than other shows, this only added to the celebratory atmosphere. Drinks were also cheaper than at other big events, and so the fun of ‘Playtime’ was significantly added to by affordable booze. When the show ended, the models and committee members joined the celebration on stage, and the confetti cannons were fired, I found that a combination of the casual setting, celebratory and simply fun message, and too many G&T’s made Catwalk 2020 one of my best fashion show experiences.

Find the full interview with Catwalk 2020 director Isi Webb Jenkins, and models Ama, Lourenco and Kathryn, below: 

How did you get into Catwalk- was this your first time?

Ama: It’s not my first time, no. I’m fourth year right now, I first did Catwalk in my second year. I just wanted to do Catwalk because it seemed like so much fun, and all the ticket sales go to charity, so that’s something that was quite important. It seemed quite different from the other fashion shows, it seemed a bit less serious- doesn’t take itself as seriously, but it’s quite a fun environment to be in, and yeah, I’m glad I auditioned!

Lourenco: It’s my first year at Catwalk, cause I’m a first year. Why I chose Catwalk? It just seemed like the one that was less serious/easiest to get into, and so, where I came from, there’s none of this kind of catwalk culture, but here there’s so many shows and stuff, so I just wanted to see how it was as a first year, and decide what I wanted to do for second year and stuff. Catwalk just seemed really laid back, and now that I’m here, it’s just a lot of fun! So Im glad I chose it.

Kathryn: My academic dad was in Catwalk in my first and second year, so I kind of knew about it. But for various reasons, I couldn’t go to the shows. So last year was the first time I went and watched it! My friend was in it, and he was like ‘Kathryn you should do it, it’s amazing, it’s so much fun!’ And his girlfriend was in committee as well and she was like ‘it’s really fun, everyone has a good time! All the socials are really good’. So, I thought I’d just try it because the worst that could happen is they’re like, no thank you, and no one knows you’ve auditioned anyway! So I was like, fine. And it has honestly been one of the best things I’ve done at Uni, it’s been so much fun! I kind of wish— because this is my first year and I’m in fourth year— I kind of wish I’d done it sooner. I’ve made so many good friends, everyone is really nice. You kind of have this perception that all the models are gonna be intimidating, but everyone is just so great.

Can you tell me about the experience of being a model, stuff that we wouldn’t know about?

Lourenco: I think CATWALK has just become such a tight-knit family now, at first I was kind of nervous cause it was all these fourth years and third years, and I didn’t really know that many people. But once you get to know everyone, it just becomes one big family, and every time you mess up it’s just laughs! It’s a good time, there’s no pressure to do anything or be anyone you’re not.

Ama: I agree! At first it might seem a bit daunting cause, you know, our very first rehearsal together we were just in a room and you had to just do a walk, and I was thinking, ‘I have to walk in front of everyone? If I walk wrong, it’s gonna be embarrassing??’ But no! since then it’s been fine to be honest! We all just appreciate that, you know, we’re learning the choreo together, you can’t know it immediately. And yeah, it a tight family now, we’re all friends. It’s just laughs at rehearsal. Of course, we get the work done! But we still make jokes along the way.

What does the theme, Playtime, mean to you?

Kathryn: What I really like, firstly about Catwalk and also the theme is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. You see the models from other shows and they’re all just so miserable because they can’t eat for weeks and weeks! No one is like that here, and it’s really nice. We’re for charity, we haven’t got the same kind of budget that everyone else has, but we’re still gonna have fun! It’s a fun night out. I think The Yard Fife, one of our charities, goes really well with the Playtime aspect, I think it’s a good idea for the charities this year.

Let’s talk about the clothes- did you meet any of the designers?

Ama: I’ve met two of them! There’s a student called Moemie, she was designing the clothes for our opening walk, they’re quite fun clothes! They really are. She’s been making the clothes over the winter holidays. They’re fun cause, the theme is Playtime, so we’re trying to have some fun clothes out there- some of them are OUT THERE. Yeah, it’s fashion right? I guess it has to be that way.

Isi - as director, what gave you inspiration for the theme ‘Playtime’?

Isi: So I was getting a bit bored of all the kind of noir-serious themes that seemed to be in all the student fashion shows. That seemed like it’s more easy to shoot and put on a runway. With Catwalk, that didn’t really suit us. Playtime encourages the fun side of our theme, and could give us some tangible creative links for shoots- we could play on sport with the word play, or music or childhood. So that’s why I went for it! In terms of our front of house, we’ve got lots of paint splatters, big letters, crazy lighting. In our fashion, lots of crazy textures, bright colours- and obviously really fun choreography to make it an entertaining show!

Other shows have placed a big emphasis on sustainability this year- is sustainability important for Catwalk?

Isi: This year, we haven’t got a specific theme of sustainability, unlike the other two shows, but I think it’s because Catwalk, because it has a much smaller budget, it’s already sustainable in its own way! Our budget, I think I worked it out, is about 1.7% of the other, bigger shows’ budgets. It means we can’t spend lots on props that will never be used again, we always have the charity shop walks in the show- we’ve had them since we started, from four different charity shops in St Andrews- so it shows what you can shop sustainably in St. Andrews, what brilliant clothes you can get. Also, because we’re in the union, which is a set venue, in terms of waste like plastic cups etc., we don’t have that luckily.

Can you tell me about the charities and the challenges of donating 100% of Catwalk’s revenue?

Isi: Three charities, because Catwalk is part of the student’s union charities campaign. We have three charities- our local charity is The Yard Fife, which is a play centre for children with learning difficulties in Kirkcaldy. We went to visit in November, it was brilliant! They’ve actually decorated one of the dresses which is in the show. There is CALM, which is Campaign against living miserably, which is a movement in support of mental health, especially male mental health as suicide is such a big killer of men under 45 in the UK. And then there is women for women international, which supports women and children who have been displaced from their homes and countries because of war or other situations, and gives women marketable skills. The women graduate from their scheme and move on to support themselves without needing the charity. Unlike other fashion shows, Catwalk doesn’t really function as a business. We’re very lucky to get given a grant from the union, we get given the money, we spend it, and that’s it. We don’t luckily have to give anything back to the union, which is brilliant cause it means all the money spent on tickets, for the launch and for the show, cake sale, all of it goes straight to our charities. It means every bit of energy we put in is brilliant because it’s all for a charitable cause. It does obviously mean we have a much smaller budget, we work in stricter contingencies because we’re tied to the union, but it does make Catwalk truly philanthropic, because we get no money back at all.