Here’s all the backstage gossip on this year’s Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show

Following the roaring success of last year's Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show, this year promises to be bigger and better than ever. So step back Victoria's Secret, there's a new sheriff in town.

With the Launch Party of the ECFS 2019 rapidly approaching, we sat down with the two co-chairwomen, Lauren Taylor and Maria Najafian, to discuss all the backstage gossip about this year's show.

For anyone who hasn't heard about it before, could you give us some background on the ECFS?

Lauren: We are an entirely student-run fashion show, and every year we organise a sell out show in aid of a chosen charity. We are made up of entirely Edinburgh-based creatives and we like to think that what we bring to the table is something new and exciting. Our theme this year is "Solstice", so the idea of light and dark along with all the inspiration with can draw from nature.

ECFS committee members, Lauren and Maria

Could you tell us more about your chosen charity for this year?

Maria: Over the summer we thought that mental health was becoming a bit of a crisis for students, particularly in Edinburgh. Penumbra, Scotland's biggest mental health charity, is the only charity in Scotland with a 24 hour mental health helpline (0808 801 0414) with trained professionals answering the phone. Penumbra are also in the process of opening up a shelter in Edinburgh so that people that are really struggling can go along and get help 24 hours a day.

Lauren: I think what really sets them apart, and something I think they'd like to highlight, is that all of their trained professionals are people who have suffered with mental health in the past. So you can go to them, and once you feel in a better place, they can give you the training to help other people. So it's their scheme of paying it forward that really struck us.

ECFS 2018

Could you tell us some more about this year's theme?

Lauren: The theme this year is very broad, which creates a lot of scope for us. Our show will take place very close to the summer solstice of 2019. The solstice is a moment of darkness followed by light. We have made this our tagline in order to portray the image that even in darkness, the light will come back. It's a show of contrast about the light and the dark, beauty and the grotesque, and our relationship with nature. It also represents the journey in your own head being an immense dreamscape that we can all explore as a group.

Maria: We really want to focus our emphasis on the contrast element of our theme, whether this be through reality and dreams, or beauty and the grotesque.

How is the theme reflected in the clothes?

Maria: Particularly with our charity, we want the clothes to reflect the fact that there can be two sides to our personality, the dark side and the light. We want to focus on the light.

Lauren: We've got some amazing collections by some great designers. There are some avant-garde, structured pieces but also some high quality high street pieces which will make it a perfect balance for everybody. We want to bring fashion, music and art together to create a whole experience.

Walk walk fashion baby

Will you be hosting any events prior to the fashion show?

Lauren: Yes! We will be hosting our launch party on Wednesday 14th November at Cab Vol – tickets are still on sale now and we would encourage everybody to come down. It would be a chance to meet the committee, see the models and see a bit more of the theme as we reveal it.

Finally, any fashion trends from the past that you hope never come back?

Lauren: Can I say Neon? I really don't like Neon.

Maria: I would say shoulder pads, but they're actually starting to grow on me so I'll have to go with the perm and the mullet.

Tickets for the launch party are available via the ECFS Facebook event.