Everything that happened at the Leeds RAG Fashion Show 2020

Picture the scene: The Refectory has been transformed into an Ancient Greek ‘Elysian’ paradise, and Kanye’s ‘All of the Lights’ have just welcomed the first models for the ‘fire’ scene onto the runway. The most fashionable night in Leeds’ calendar has begun, and what follows is nothing short of a celebration of the earth’s elements, and the natural beauty which this planet is rooted upon.

Leeds RAG Fashion Show 2020 came, they say saw, and they conquered, in the most stylish way possible. The wait was finally over, and for two incredible nights, last Friday and Saturday, Leeds RAG Fashion Show showed the largest audience in their 12-year history how beautiful this planet can be while raising the largest amount of money in LRFS history: £27,600 to be exact.

The entirety of this fund has been donated to two environmental charities, Hubbub, and Plastic Oceans UK, both of which are devoted to reducing water pollution and waste disposal, which will keep the ‘Elysian’ state alive.

Thanks to the work of their first sustainability team, along with the entirety of the 53 member committee, LRFS20 was devoted to promoting sustainability, while carefully calculating the emissions of the two show nights, to ensure they were as low as possible.

Through fashion, LRFS20 sparked a journey of empowerment and promoted change, which urged its audience to preserve the beauty of the planet where we are living.

The first three acts took the shape of  ‘earth’, ‘water’ and ‘air’, which saw models showcase a diverse palette of earthly tones, in a celebration of the planets core elements. While fire was rooted upon an intensely passionate palette of reds, oranges and yellows; the water scene represented global warming visually. The outfits merged the deep blues and blacks of a stormy ocean with a calmer sea, through its extremely slick hair and glossy lipgloss.

This was followed by the intense essence of ‘void’ which was a powerful reminder of the effects of our current climate crisis, and what our planet may become if we do not adapt our actions for change.

The final scene, however, was a like a scene out of Fruity in the 1980s (honestly, can you IMAGINE) as the disco beats and colour kissed clothing which ran through The Refectory was enough to get the back rows dancing, and the FROW’s wishing they had downed enough jäger to get up on the runway themselves.

The garments, the hair and the makeup transported you to a land 1000 miles away from Leeds while reminding you of your duty to make this city that little bit more sustainable. Yes, this was a celebration of fashion, music and local designers, but above all, this show celebrated the earth, in the most fashionable way possible.

Between 2008 and 2018, LRFS has won ‘Event of the Year’ numerous times, and we have a feeling that the 2020 show is next in line.

Watch this space, you heard it here first.