In Conversation: FS and DW, The Directors

In our final installment of FS meets DONT WALK, we meet the overlords – the Directors. Charlotte Adlard and Guy Hartley give us the ultimate dish on auctions, goody bags, celeb attendance and big, big charitable donations.

 

Let’s start off with what it’s all for – the charities?

DW: This year we’re supporting The Non-Violence Project, a foundation dedicated to violence prevention education. They already have a significant presence around town, and we’re helping with the set-up of a local initiative, training teachers to go into local schools and supplement existing programs in art and sports. It’s nice because it’s so local and integrated with the community.

FS: We’re continuing our support of the Wardlaw Scholarship program, our reasons for which are two-fold: First, it’s students-helping-students, which is really great, and secondly, we get a lot of support from the University and the Union bar. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

 

How much are you hoping to donate this year?

DW: We’re hoping it will be around £25,000. This is will be our biggest donation to date – but I’m guessing it’s still a lot less than FS!

FS: Not far off! Our biggest to date was £27,000 at the 2008 show in Younger Hall, but our target this year is £30,000. We are launching another event for alumni in London, happening the weekend after the St Andrews event, which will hopefully be a great moneymaker. I think the fashion shows sometimes get stick for not trying hard enough, but the overheads are so huge…

DW: Of course if our expenses were lower we could donate more. Unfortunately, what people don’t realize is that to preserve the integrity of the event there is a trade-off. If we sacrifice too much, we run the risk of losing the night altogether and losing any opportunity to make money in the future.

 

Let’s talk sponsorhip, who are we dealing with?

FS: Alfa Romeo are tied in with the Young Designer Award, and they provide the cars you might spot around town! We also have Swarovski, as Nadja Swarovski’s husband, Rupert Adams, came here, and Bacardi are sponsoring us for the first time, which is very exciting.

DW: We’ve got lots of local sponsors like the Vic, Ma Bells and and Sophie Butler. LVMH (the conglomerate company of Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessy!) are covering a lot of our alcohol costs, which is great! We also have a wonderful group, Handsome Properties, who are based in the US and have donated lots of wonderful prizes to the auction…

 

Tell us more about the auction prizes!

DW: Look out for Canada Goose jackets, a trip to a really beautiful apartment in Paris… and a few other surprises!

FS: We’re balancing prizes between the alumni event in London, we do have some great holidays available. They were very profitable last year.

DW: They looked awesome!

FS: Yup! You can tell they’re big moneymakers.

 

So are you going to be seen at each other’s events?

FS: Absolutely.

DW: I’m psyched! FS is on such a bigger scale and the way it operates so professional – in that sense, DONT WALK isn’t quite the same, so I think I’ll really be able to enjoy FS for what it is. Realistically, I’ll probably get extremely drunk.

FS: We absolutely don’t condone that…

DW: No! No, don’t get really drunk…

 

Do you get together to coordinate the events at all, or check for crossovers?

DW: We liaise, definitely. There are a couple of occasions where there is room for difficulties and we need to communicate, but other than that we go our own directions. It’s mostly for practical thing such as auditions.

FS: Fighting over models happens every year.

DW: Oh god, it’s pistols at dawn.

 

How would you define the role of Director? Is it all ‘high fashion’ or more business management?

FS: It really depends on what you want to do and where your strengths lie. I’m very different to my predecessor – I ran Events last year so I’m mostly involved in that, and have taken a backseat role in creative side. Our Creative Director is absolutely fantastic, so I don’t have to worry about that at all!

DW: Its definitely vaguely informed by what you did before. I came from Press, so when it comes to events, I delegate. Our Event Directors are genii, so I trust them completely! It’s mostly about engaging with other people and making sure you are playing to their strengths.

 

Are you looking for this to jumpstart your own careers in fashion?

DW: I’m not so interested in fashion, but it’s also not solely a business thing. It’s so much more about people. The fashion side is largely subordinated unless you make a choice to engage with it, as so much of the event is the charitable donation and the after party.

FS: And it’s not really a CV builder. It’s too difficult to convey what FS is to the outside world!

DW: It’s totally alien! It’s hard to grasp why university students are throwing around these huge figures and raising these massive amounts.

 

As the Directors are setting the standard, what are you going to be wearing?

FS: Well, for guys, FS is generally a jacket and an open collar, so I’ll probably go with that! Last year I was speaking with the photographer from Tatler, and out of all the fashion shows they had been to, they said St Andrews was a favourite because we all dress properly.

DW: Only in St Andrews! On the night, we really should set the standard, but realistically I’ll want to look show stopping but probably won’t! Maybe I’ll go floor length while everyone else is in minis, that’s the way to stand out.

 

So do we have anyone exciting in attendance?

DW: Every year we try Kate, but she turns us down.

FS: I thought it was a prank at first, but if they’re not busy we might have Spencer and Louise from Made in Chelsea.

DW: Well, Louise is in Edinburgh! Could happen.

FS: Honestly, I’d kind of prefer it not to happen as it could detract from all the other hard work going on. All the headlines would be about MIC!

 

Big press names?

DW: We should have a lot of smaller publications like Out of Order. Cosmo are coming along as well! 

FS: Alfa bring their own press which is really useful, but the biggest name we have is probably Tatler.

 

Any other surprises you can tell us about?

DW: Then they wouldn’t be surprises!

 

Aw, worth a try. How about the goody bags?

DW: I did hear some great things about them today… they are very unique! The problem crisps from last year are also making an appearance: the issue was that they were very smelly, everyone drunkenly ate them and we were walking around with quite a stench. So, this year there is some toothpaste included as well!

FS: Our sponsors, Procter and Gamble, are supplying us with some lovely hair stuff from Wella, amongst other great things. For some reason every year only about half are taken home! We’re handing them out with the wristband collection this time.

DW: The savvy people minesweep. You could leave with twenty if you’re good! It’s tremendously frustrating when the next morning there are so many discarded, maybe 60% left behind. People do want them but they’re just so, so drunk… (Always drink responsibly…)

 

FS takes place tomorrow night on Lower College Lawn, and DONT WALK will be in Kinkell Byre on the 2nd March.

Photograph ©Alexandra Williams