The Saint
The Fashion Show of the Month
Nina Zietman on why FS:X was a night to remember...
Before last Saturday, few students had heard of Guardbridge, let alone visited it. For most of us, it is merely that small array of grey buildings that we briefly catch passing by the bus window on the way to Leuchars station. However, for one night only, the vast industrial ruins of Guardbridge Papermill were transformed into a unique location for one of the hottest events in the St. Andrews calendar.
FS is one of those events you have to attend at least once during your time at St. Andrews. Having included designers in the past such as Prada and Luella, the shows 18th year had a lot to live up to. Luckily, it did not disappoint. The venue was truly impressive. The committee had managed to transform two vast warehouse-sized rooms into a spectacular fashion arena, with glittering, champagne-decked tables scattered between the huge V-shaped catwalk. In typical St. Andrews style, no event is without a great deal of outfit planning on behalf of the audience, as well as the models. Girls were decked out in furs and sequins, whilst the men adopted either a tweed or bow-tie approach, all
looking appropriately chic under the glow of designers such as Nicole Farhi, Tommy Hilfiger and Vivienne Westwood. Student designers were successfully
interwoven with top labels, as the models strutted down the runway in time to the pumping beats. The fantastic range of Georgina Goodman S/S 10
collection was, unquestioningly, one of the biggest showstoppers. Her bold geometric prints in pink, red and purple, and floating chiffon kaftans shone
amongst the casual array of shirts and preppy chinos.
I was impressed, however, by the student designs of Valerie Klasan and Emma Sherlock in particular. With minimal training and a non-existent
budget, these students managed to put together outfits that did not look out of place amongst the professionals. Klasan's innovative white net dress,
with balloons inserted inside the skirt hem, brings out a new playful side to student couture. Sherlock's white corset and pink voluminous organza skirt
meanwhile stole the show, as the gorgeous Alexandra Vickery swept down the catwalk.
What struck me most about FS:X was how professionally the whole event had been put together. Yes, it was a little cold. And maybe one bottle of
vodka between ten isn't enough to get us even a little bit tipsy (perhaps a sign of premature liver failure above all else). However, the huge TV
projectors placed amongst the audience, the professional demeanour of the models, the vast construction of the industrial catwalk and intense
lighting would have suited London Fashion Week, let alone a student-run charity fashion show.
Was it worth the whole £90? Absolutely.
STUDENT DESIGNER: Emma Sherlock
Back in December, in a spur-of-the-moment
decision, I decided to enter a collection of
designs for FS:X. Having previously studied
Textiles for A-level and a real passion for
fashion design, I put together five mood
board designs, in what seemed like one very
rushed evening.
With 15 other designers to compete against for four positions, I wasn't hopeful. However, it wasn't until I was told that my designs had been picked, that I realised my designs were going to be up on a catwalk, alongside some of the most beautiful clothes fashion has to offer. But I only had two months to make five full outfits.
In the spirit of New Years resolutions, I began my project in
Be sure to check out the Week in Pictures for more pictures from FS:X!
MODEL: Aggie Reeve
Ye
such as Campbell, the jovial bartender at No. 40 (hope your leg is feeling better)!
But this information is not juicy enough you say? Well! Hold tight! Favorite moments include: committee/model dinners, being heckled mercilessly by the opposite sex (its a game we swear), and trying on all of the outstanding student designer outfits.
It is wonderful that we had this great experience all in the name of the Watoto charity. We hope that those who make it out to the paper mill will have had as fantastic a time as we have over these past few months.
What will you be wearing on the night?
A dress by Emma Sherlock and various other designer outfits given to me!
Your own personal style inspiration?
Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton
Aggie is a Second Year student, studying Arabic and Spanish.
Meet the
FS:X Crew...
With just one week to go before FS:X, we are
all surprisingly relaxed. One might think that
fashion shows are stressful but nay! As we
write this, our choreographer is draped lazily
over the sofa, polishing off a bottle of Tesco's
Finest Riesling, imparting her words of
wisdom to us both.
Yes, rehearsals have been kicked up a notch
but we love spending the extra time with our new
friends: people that we may have never met otherwise,
MARKETING TEAM: Tamara Raoufi
Having spent months and months preparing
for FS:X, I am so excited for the show! I was
selected to be a part of the comittee in
May 2009 and have enjoyed every second
of planning, organising and running
around town, sorting out sponsorship.
My favourite part of FS:X so far has definitely
been wearing the metallic gold jackets around town (!). Likewise, interviewing Sarah Harris (the Fashion Features Editor for British Vogue) and designer Daniella Issa Helayel was by far one of the highlights. I'm just waiting with anticipation for Saturday night now, when we finally get to see all our hard-work come to life!
Tamara is a Second Year student, studying International Relations and History
a very organized manner. Over Christmas, I brought my materials from
a quirky costume shop I'd found during A-levels, and as soon as my exams had
finished, I dashed home and began sewing. For literally ten days straight.
With some last-minute help from my
mum and friends, my part in FS:X is now done, as I handed over my clothes to the Creative Director. But the best bit is yet to come: on
Saturday, the whole experience will be
complete when I see my clothes in the hopefully electric atmosphere of FS:X.
Emma Sherlock is a Second Year student, studying English
