FS2016: St. Andrews’ biggest night of debauchery, privilege and glamour

The largest and most successful student run organization in the UK, the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show plays host to over 1500 guests for a night that lives up to its reputation. Taking place on Lower College Lawn, the marquee completely transformed the venue into a nearly unrecognizable place, allowing guests to feel as if they were somewhere closer to New York than St Andrews. With flashing lights and industrial designs, the theme BARE was tasteful and well done.

This year’s show saw models taking to the runway in fashions from the likes of Fendi, Topman, and East Club in fabulous designs from sequins to feathers to fringe, and everything in-between. At the height of professionalism, the FS models were seen walking with grace and style, maintaining serious faces despite the screaming crowds around them. However, there were quite a few cheeks bared during the show, and I feel I now know some of the models a bit too personally.

At times, I think most guests would have preferred to be up on the catwalk, if only to avoid the drunken shoving and occasional drink being poured on your arm, your back, or, in the case of someone standing near me, on your head. If an event is only as professional as its guest list, then maybe we should have a better look at who is attending next year.

Before the famed FS auction took place, guests saw the return of a saxophonist, who absolutely crushed his set while moving across runway and never running out of breath. However, once guests had refilled their empty drinks at the bar and replenished supplies with newly opened bottles of champagne, the auction started.

For all those who claim that St Andrews isn’t as posh and privileged as people think, I’m sure watching students bid thousands of pounds on different items might change your perspective a bit. From dates with models and Fendi purses to the much sought after St Andrews Oktoberfest table, all going for £500 to £2000 pounds or more, everyone was bidding wildly. This year’s biggest item was the Fendi Experience, a trip to Milan for the Fendi fashion week show with backstage passes, flights, and hotel for two, which went for a whopping £8000. As a student, I could hear my bank account weeping.

In a turn of events, the Fendi Experience bidder proved to be unreliable (perhaps there is a limit to how much champagne one can drink!) and the item has been made available once again, days later. This just serves to substantiate the claims that people think the auction takes major advantage of the usually drunken guests at FS. However, it will remain to be one of the wildest parts of the biggest event to take place in St Andrews. While some guests are keen to bid as much money as possible on items, many were relieved to have been outbid, particularly when it came to a magnum of Veuve Clicquot.

With such a long event, most guests seem to have forgotten about the second half of the show, preferring instead to get out of the crowd and make beelines for one of the bars. While the champagne for purchase was not as cheap as we were promised, that stopped no one from treating themselves again and again.

While the FS committee came through on their promise for a quick transition to the after-party, I found it to be a massive letdown. After the high of an insane fashion show, the mob-like group that took to the smaller dance floor for was not in the least bit enticing. By that time of the night, the bars were out of tonic, soda, and most other key mixers, leaving guests wanting.

All in the name of charity, I would have to say that the event overall was successful. Providing guests with a reprieve from their studies and giving them an excuse to dress to the nines whilst drinking the night away, FS continues to hold a firm grip on their reputation as the biggest and best night out in St Andrews.

While everyone’s a critic, the show definitely stole the night. After-party or not, I would struggle to find an attendee of FS who didn’t enjoy something about the night. But will anyone even remember the evening? After all, it seemed there weren’t any photographers there to capture the experience of guests. At least we live in the twenty-first century where iPhones are just extensions of our hands and selfies are the main mode of communication.