St Andrews’ Fashion Shows Take on the Pandemic Year

St Andrews is a town that prides itself on its fashion scene; the three streets are filled with the best OOTDs. As a university, we are notorious for hosting some iconic shows, even taking credit for the matchmaking of the future king and queen. Although this year has caused some major interruptions, I chatted with four of our star fashion show teams—FS, Sitara, CATWALK, and DONT WALK—to hear how they’ve tackled this challenging time and how they’re using their traditional platforms and events in new alternative ways.

St Andrews Charity Fashion Show

FS usually hosts one of the first major events of the academic year, Starfields, but sadly, this beloved, one-day festival was of course cancelled due to COVID. So instead they hosted their first-ever F4TE (‘Fashion 4 the Earth’) Week last October. According to FS, this was the first digital event of its kind in St Andrews, one which they dedicated to introducing audiences to a variety of sustainable brands and educating them about sustainable production and consumption within the industry. F4TE Week included pre-recorded educational lectures as well as live virtual panels and ended with an e-catalogue featuring sustainable designers such as SULKE, Oramai London, Framiore, Funkyard, Buzz & Bartie’s Archive, and Dom Amsterdam. To support their chosen charity, FearFree, they organized a raffle where participants had the chance to win three different hampers with goodies provided by their corporate sponsors, including Veuve Cliquot, Rekorderlig, Daye, Love Corn, Wolven, and Fresh Looks.

FS is now planning to publish another e-catalogue to conclude the year which will feature the work of their designers and contain notes from the FS2021 committee members and models on their experiences as a part of the FS family. The catalogue will also highlight the significant work of their charitable partner, FearFree, in providing a safe space for victims of domestic abuse during this time and will also share some of their sustainability efforts from this past year.

Sitara Charity Fashion Show

Sitara was established in 2008 to showcase Asian culture through art, fashion, and performance. In the past 12 years, they have raised significant amounts for non-profit organisations, including the Akanksha Foundation. This year Sitara will be showcasing Asian designers in a virtual format, as well as continuing other online events, including live streams, to raise money. Despite pandemic restrictions, Sitara hopes to continue to draw attention to talented artists and contemporary issues in both the fashion industry as well as across a broader social context. The committee is looking forward to releasing more information on events soon.

CATWALK

After the cancellation of the CATWALK 2021 show, this committee was determined to take advantage of the university’s existing resources. They utilised the ‘Can-Do’ marquee by putting on events easily adaptable to its COVID restrictions, including philanthropic events such as their Y2K bracelet making as well as introductory model shoots. The team also started a podcast on STAR to give their followers insight into some behind-the-scenes content, interviewing models and members of the exec committee to keep the familial experience of CATWALK alive. The pandemic also inspired them to host some online panels. They used Instagram to connect with graduate designers, small brands, and new students to create and maintain relationships that otherwise would have been fostered in person. This online presence was essential in spreading awareness for the St Andrews Charities Campaign’s chosen charities—the Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre, the Scottish Association for Mental Health, and Help Refugees—which CATWALK also supports.

DONT WALK

Despite the pandemic, the DONT WALK committee has continued to find creative ways to raise money for their chosen charities, Custom Collaborative and Impact Arts. They took to Facebook to host several live stream events in which their followers were able to dance with the DJs. Additionally, the DONT WALK committee will be releasing a publication for its twentieth anniversary that charts the evolution of DONT WALK since its inception in 2001 and that will include a variety of archival content that showcases the amazing work DONT WALK has engendered and the causes it has supported over the past twenty years.

They have has also launched DONT WEAR to provide a platform for young, up-and-coming designers to showcase their work across larger communities. When it comes to clothes stores, there really isn’t much choice within the streets of St Andrews, and hence the idea of DONT WEAR has been to grant students opportunities to buy unique pieces as well as support small designers. One of the best things about the platform is that 85% of profits go to the designer, and the other 15% goes to the charities DONT WALK supports. Their first launch in March revolved around the streetwear aesthetic, a particularly androgynous and cool vibe, and there are plans to do a second launch in May as well.

In the shadow of a very difficult time, it has truly been inspiring to hear about each committee’s journey to maximise their events and long legacies. All these shows have continued to support their chosen charities, going above and beyond in the virtual world to emphasise their core values. It is clear that the fashion shows of St Andrews have still been able to thrive in these unprecedented times, and that makes me even more excited to see what they have in store for 2022.