Digging Deeper into St. Andrews Fashion with VS Founder Sagar Kumar

Interview and words by Keyona Fazli, Writer

As we anticipate the fashion show season here in St Andrews, I decided to have a quick chat with Sagar Kumar, one of the co-founders of VS. Sagar very kindly welcomed me into his home for a Vogue-style video interview and told me a little more about the upcoming projects he runs, from VS on Thursday 10th February, to other events such as Throwbacks and Haus Party. You can watch the interview on Youtube, or read the transcript below!

 KF: How are you?

SK: I’m very well thanks.

KF: What is something unreal that has happened since the start of this semester?

SK: I’m headlining DRA ball.

KF: Oh wow! That’s very unexpected.

SK: Would you like to come in?

KF: Yeah sure! Thank you for having me in your home.

SK: You are very welcome.

KF: So tell me, how did you come up with the idea for VS?

SK: VS is the event that I always wanted to go to.

KF: And what is VS really all about?

SK: VS in an antidote to the environment that we found was prevailing in St Andrews. Not that there was anything wrong with it but we felt there was a big demand for something different.

KF: Tell me, What do we have to look forward to this month?

SK: Well there is the VS fashion show, there are numerous other venue events but the fashion show is a real highlight.

KF: Can you tell us anything about the show?

SK: It’s bigger, better, there are surprises, things that people have never seen before, and all kinds of drama.

KF: What about the designers?

SK: So we have three Vogue featured designers, one of whom is currently suing Givenchy because they stole her design super recently. The pieces that we are displaying in our show I believe will become evidence in a huge litigation suit.

KF: That’s insane! So are you nervous about the show?

SK: Honestly, not really. I am just excited and I can’t wait for everyone to see the amazing work my team has done all year.

KF: Yeah, I can’t wait too! If you weren’t involved with VS what do you think you would be doing?

SK: Probably sitting on this couch watching TV and thinking about what I could have been doing in my life for the last three years instead of… that.

KF: Fair enough. What excites you in fashion?

SK: The idea that so many designers are getting to grips with sustainable concepts and are integrating it into something [sic] which is inherently so wasteful.

KF: What is your favourite part of your job?

SK: My favourite part of my job is the fact that I get to create teams of people who work together on a shared mission and often will bond for life afterwards. It’s really rewarding.

KF: What is the hardest thing about your job?

SK: The hardest thing about my job is that everything depends on me. It’s also perhaps the best part but there is no one else to point the finger at when things don’t go to plan.

KF: What is your greatest achievement?

SK: My greatest achievement [sic] for me is that I am lucky enough to have a sense of well-being and peace most of the time.

KF: After you graduate, what will happen to VS?

SK: VS is going to grow.

KF: If you could do one thing differently what would that be?

SK: I’m actually pretty happy with everything, so, nothing.

KF: Good, that’s the best way to be. What inspires you in fashion?

SK: I’m just really impressed when anyone gets in touch with their inner creativity and comes from a place of authenticity rather than doing what’s expected of them.

KF: What inspires you in the every day?

SK: People who are able to keep smiling even when life is really difficult for them. 

KF: Tell me, what is the best advice you have ever received?

SK: Keep smiling no matter what life throws at you.

KF: Why should we take VS more seriously than the other fashion shows in St Andrews?

SK: I don’t think you should. I think you should just come if this is for you, and if it isn’t, then cool.

KF: How is this show going to be different to your first show?

SK: It’s [sic] gonna be bigger, better, just come and see.

KF: And what advice would you give to yourself before you and Dom started VS?

SK: Enjoy the process because you’ll get there.

KF: How do you feel VS is perceived?

SK: I think in a similar vein to the way that we internally operate, which is open, inclusive, sustainable, kind of like an organisation that cares.

KF: How do you feel you are perceived?

SK: I would hope as someone that cares.

KF: What is the biggest misconception about fashion shows?

SK: That you have to be really interested in fashion to enjoy them.

KF: What does sustainability mean to you?

SK: For me, it’s about reducing waste, reusing resources, and in general, challenging the ideas that we have about the amount of consumption required to live a happy life.

KF: And what have you done within VS in terms of sustainability?

SK: So in this year’s show we are heavily featuring a lot of second-hand collections, because we are trying to raise awareness and encourage people to this whole enormous market of second-hand clothing.

KF: That’s great!

SK: Would you like some tea?

KF: I would love some tea, thank you.

KF: What are throwbacks?

SK: Throwbacks are extremely fun. Get down to one!

KF: Why did you see throwbacks as something the St Andrews nightlife needed?

SK: I was always super passionate about a certain type of music and I wasn’t able to express that because I’m meant to be this ‘super cool’ VS guy. Essentially, the things I was screaming my head off to in the shower started picking up a few compliments and I realised that maybe there were other people out there like me and there seems to be.

KF: And what is Haus Party? I can see it behind you.

SK: Haus Party is the latest addition to the projects. Imagine an EDM festival but in indoor venues in St Andrews. We hire in these amazing sound systems, we get this staging and lighting… It’s almost like attending a concert but we’re bringing it right to your doorstep.

KF: How is Haus Party any different from your other projects?

SK: Haus Party is specifically serving a group of people who are missing an experience here that is really really rare to get or that you have to get in other cities. The other projects are normally differentiated because of the kind of music that people like.

KF: What was an iconic moment during one of your launches?

SK: We always say that if something hasn’t gone drastically wrong on the day then it’s not really a launch or an event. For the very first ever VS event our DJ was sick and our sound system was not in place an hour before the whole thing was supposed to start.

KF: Can you tell us if there are any other projects underway?

SK: Yes, my Glasgow real-estate company is doing some really interesting stuff and I hope to bring more health and well-being projects to the world in the next 12-18 months.

KF: What have you planned for the rest of semester?

SK: I’m enjoying it to the max. These three events are [sic] gonna do the absolute most that they can and the DRA ball opportunity is just [sic] gonna be a blast.

KF: Why should we be excited about what’s coming next?

SK: I mean you don’t have to be but if you happen to enjoy any of those kinds of music, any of this type of fashion then we’ll probably cross paths at one point.

KF: How do you think St Andrews has changed and been affected by these launches?

SK: I would say the biggest difference is that after our first year VS show, for example, a lot of the kids came up afterwards, the models, talking about how they’ve made friends for life or how they gained a certain level of confidence or it’s changed the trajectory of their university experience. I would hope that the impact that these things have is that people are able to bond and have a better time at uni.

KF: Well thank you so much! And do you have any final words for your competitors?

SK: If you love what you’re doing then keep doing it. And also if you’re ever interested in joining these projects, it’s probably better to work together than against each other.

KF: Well thank you once again, have a lovely day!

SK: You too!