We went to the 2026 Leeds University RAG fashion show and this is what we thought

The Leeds RAG Fashion Show 2026 held its opening night last Friday, and it was nothing but reflective. Returning for its 17th year, RAG transformed the LUU into its own personal Met Gala for their two nights of showcasing designs.

The Leeds Tab was lucky enough to be welcomed backstage, where we saw all things fashion. One moment we were sitting in the Common Ground, the next we were surrounded by orbs of colourful light. Deep oranges and reds next to dreamy blues, deep charcoal greys and metallics, floating among delicate greens and pinks.

Make-up artists came to do final touch-ups, a procedure that would sound standard, but showed the depths of how personal this show is. We saw make-up artists asking the models what they wanted: “Do you think this blue goes with your eyes?”, “Does this hair clip feel comfortable?”, all added to the connection and community that the fashion show instils.

The time backstage also gave us the chance to see the garments up close. Individuality was shown through the immersive textiles and the simple nod of crafted stitches that would gather jealousy from the Depop girls.

The theme of this year was GAIA – An Earthly Soul. GAIA represents the ancient goddess, who is seen as the mother of Earth, “Earth’s original guardian.” Think all things goddess, mythical, phantom, natural and elemental, the fashion show was conducted through four different groups:

Ancestral Whispers: Reflecting community within ancestors, and the importance of human connectivity.

Bodies of Water: Life beneath the surface, the elemental force of the ocean and water.

Ghost in the Machine: A dystopian reality paired with disconnection, with ghosts roaming purgatory.

Threads of Life: Gaia returns to the Earth, reconnecting and rejoicing with nature.

The themes, all contrasting in aesthetics, still all felt very connected, immersing you in the experience of seeing each model and piece. The flow of the themes was thematic, transforming the show into a richly saturated art show.

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The show surpassed traditional walks, with models having unique walks, including elemental poses, displaying their garments through movement and flow.

The Leeds Tab interviewed one designer, Kenzie Murray, whose inspiration for her design was surrounded by fairytale-inspired forms, sustainable practice, and sampling core pieces of her design, such as feathers, to ensure the piece was as she envisaged. When asked what song most represented her design, Miss Murray replied with the soundtrack of Alice in Wonderland, a fitting collection!

Something to think about when seeing these designs is that every piece was created sustainably, which is such a high achievement within the fashion industry.

We know from fast fashion that over 1o per cent of carbon emissions produced every year are the result of piling up landfills from barely worn dresses and badly made jeans. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, textile manufacturing is expected to increase in landfills by 60 per cent by 2030, making sustainability extremely crucial for global practice.

So, to see each item intentionally made and curated, down to the very fabric it is put together from, shows how creativity can stem from reused materials. Having one form and turning it into something new is a modern mark of art and creativity.

RAG also gave young and upcoming designers the autonomy to showcase their designs, something that is extremely important for young artists. As we have seen in recent years, with graduates applying for countless jobs, conducting interviews, completing MCQ’s and having high resumes, having a degree is no longer enough.

For designers to have this opportunity is allowing and demanding attention from those who would go unnoticed.

This year, RAG worked with three charities: Behind Closed Doors, MAP (Music and Arts Production), and the British Red Cross. At the show, it was revealed that this year’s show set a record number of money raised, totalling £15,000. Since the creation of the RAG fashion show in 2008, the event has raised over £500,000 in total.

Overall, the show had the sense that it was formed out of love in various forms, creativity, aesthetic narrative and direction. The overall collaboration of designers, models, photographers, press, stage managers, make-up and hair stylists, and so many others are very much to thank.

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