FS in Review

Saturday evening marked a highlight in St Andrews’ social calendar: FS. This year, St Andrews Charity Fashion Show sponsored our university’s Wardlaw Scholarship, providing financial support to students who might otherwise be unable to attend, although it says nothing in its description about providing aid during fashion season. The show’s ripe old age of 21 is apparent. Their level of experience was especially evident when the committee handed out goodie bags at wristband collection. Once you’ve realised that forgetting that little bag of treats at your table because you’ve had one too many vodka cranberries (how did they know I needed a Chambord handbag hook?) is a problem in your life, it’s probably time for some soul searching.

Heading through the gate into Sallies Quad, we all shimmied (and tottered) into the glowing tent on Lower College Lawn. VIP guests were handed little French martinis, while the rest of us had to manage with bottles of champagne and Chambord (we dealt with it). Everybody looked stylish and put together, in true St Andrean style – although that didn’t last too long.

The dramatic opening sequence to the show introduced the silhouetted models in pairs to booming beats. There was a good balance of men and women’s wear, with clothing from designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Felicity Brown. It covered a lot of ground, as men appeared in Scottish wind-worthy woolly sweaters, and women in fabulous floral prints and peplum for spring. Other highlights included exquisite geometric-themed dresses and an array of luxurious furs.

Which brings me to the models. They were obviously stunning (though very serious – to an extent which I wasn’t expecting). FS has a pretty different vibe to (all) our other fashion shows, but it works well – that’s the point. Not that I’d really know, but they all looked ready to take on the runways of Paris or Milan. However, it did seem like there may have been some issues with dressing changes, as a few models appeared more than once in the same outfit…

The DJs brought charisma and warmth to the show’s polished finish. Henry Stanislaw’s funky compositions really made the show. They were they visibly enjoyed what they were doing and engaged with the audience. And let’s not forget to mention that a skilled saxophonist strutted down the runway at one point too – a repeat of last year’s successful touch.

Altogether, it was a smooth and seamless night. I must say that I was skeptical when I first came to St Andrews and discovered that a slew of fashion shows proved to be a huge part of the social scene.  However, Saturday night demonstrated just how capable, professional and creative our student body is.

Headline image ©Stuart McClay www.stuartmcclay.com

Images within article ©Kelly Diepenbrock