VS 2023 Show Review

Words by Taryn Patterson

The third annual VS Streetwear x Hip-Hop Charity Fashion Show transported its attendees from an average, cold Thursday to a literal DREAMHOUSE set up at Falside Mill. Upon walking into the venue, you became creatively immersed into the clouds, through the works of art appearing in the space before the runway. These pieces of art, appearing alongside turntables and vinyls, and pop-ups of clothing featured through the show, immediately created a space focused on the immersion of art, music, and fashion.

The guests of this year’s show were invited to wear white in some form in their outfit. The cohesion of the crowd allowed the guests to immediately feel as though they were a part of the show, and yet, each individual’s outfit was unique, featuring a variety of styles, from Y2K to grunge and office-wear. The audience’s white clothes matched the white clouds of the DREAMHOUSE, creating a dreamy, heavenly aura.

As the guests waited in anticipation for the show to start, the purple and blue lighting added to the dream-like atmosphere generated by the cloud-like foam material onstage. The crowd was buzzing and doing all they could to find a place to stand and watch the show. The stage, though set up very well with lights and decoration, was difficult to view if you weren’t quick to find a spot.

The music started and dancers came out from the crowd and started the show off with a bang. As the dancers finished and exited the stage, the bass dropped and, to everyone’s surprise, a few models emerged from the audience and stepped onto the stage. Immediately, the crowd erupted in cheers, eagerly following the movement of the models as they moved around the space, hoisting a flag that read “Keep Dreaming”, clearly inspired by Virgil Abloh.

The first half of the show held a variety of outfits. From hoodies and T-shirts to lingerie and dresses, it was hard to tell what would be coming next. This variety led to parts of the show feeling disjointed as there was seemingly nothing connecting one outfit from the next. This lack of cohesion, however, did not take away from the talent of the models and the impressive clothes that were being shown. Almost every time multiple models were on the stage, it was clear that their outfits were connected by a similar theme - whether the style of the clothes, the colors, or the accessories - when outfits were shown together, the vision was obvious.

The beginning of the show ended with each model walking out together for one final pose as they showed off some of the best pieces. As they exited the stage, the audience was surprised with a performance by Kwákz, a rapper from South London, and an accompanying band, with an incredible saxophonist and bassist. This performance helped keep the energy of the audience up and left them buzzing for the second half of the show. During the intermission of the two halves of the show, the guests were treated with free food and ice cream. The excitement for the second half was palpable, almost as if the audience could feel that the first clothes shown were only the start to bigger and better clothes.

The second half of the show started with all of the male models returning to the stage in their outfits from the first half. Although their choreography and posing were captivating, this walk through felt as though it belonged in the first half as all of the clothes had already been seen and thus felt like an unnecessary repetition.

Once they were off the stage, however, the real show began.

The first new collection shown in the second half of the show were heavenly, renaissance inspired dresses and outfits. The six pieces in this collection stood out against the rest of the outfits in the show as they all followed the same theme and yet, were unique pieces from one another. From a wedding-inspired look, to corseted dresses, and a deconstructed fairy-like two-piece, these were the dreamiest looks of the night.

The choreography of the second half of the show made it stand out from the first. As models danced with one another, traded clothes on-stage, and physically lifted one another up, the show’s choreography became more interesting and dynamic thus making it harder to look away. The clothes, while remaining with the streetwear theme, were more vintage, edgy, and extended beyond simple T-shirts and hoodies.

The show ended with one final performance by Kwákz and the VS23 thanking the audience and talking about their charities. 100% of the profits from the show go to their chosen charities: Virgil Abloh™️ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund and Sarcoma UK. This year’s Creative Director, E, talked about how inspired he was by Virgil Abloh throughout his discovery of the fashion scene. The Virgil Abloh™️ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund is dedicated to equity and inclusion in the fashion industry in honor of the late designer. Sarcoma UK is dedicated to treating and spreading information about cancer throughout the UK.

Overall, VS’s DREAMHOUSE gave their guests a night to remember while simultaneously raising money for two important causes.