By Aaina Saini and Lo Samantha
The annual Raising and Giving (RAG) Fashion Show this year, saw crowds and statements like no other. Being run in two venues simultaneously, namely the Student’s Union Venue and the Marshall Venue did not only make it amplified in size but also was a huge organisation and coordination endeavour, which in our opinion was carried out pretty smoothly barring a few small hitches.
The theme of the event was environment and social sustainability achieved by the twin ideas of raising money for charities for social sustainability and reuse of clothing for the environment. However, it may be useful to think to what extent environmental sustainability was achieved since the entire venue was strewn with flyers.
However, in the spirit of environmental sustainability, the runway looks were categorised into several different natural biomes. Paired with creative light and music production for each biome, the show truly stimulated all the senses. Our personal favourite was the water biome under which the lights turned a dim blue and saw lots of flowy outfits and well sprinkled pearl jewellery, creating an ethereal and iridescent underwater experience.
However, don’t mistake the RAG fashion show as just an intellectual experience for fashion enthusiasts: things were kept spicy. The show engaged the audience by voting for the best AU Club (crowning Women’s Football!) and the Pole Society had fantastic displays going on in the background.
Our favourite look no doubt goes to the denim-on-denim look designed by Sophia Benabit. By incorporating baggy jeans, a classic element of streetwear, the look flirts with modernity yet retains its vintage style. The combination of a fur-lined denim hood on top of the denim crop top creates a perfect blend of summer and winter that is unexpected yet executed harmoniously.
The yellow mini dress designed by Yeganeh Sadeghi and modelled by Elena Markantonatou also deserves our honourable mention. The dramatic, bright, and fluffy earrings are extravagant, but they complement the golden fairy lights wrapped around the model’s waist to create a coherent look. Yellow might not be everyone’s colour, but the craftsmanship and thoughts that go behind this look are commendable.
The variety of cultural outfits on show celebrated the diversity of the LSE student body. The models in Chinese-style ‘qipao’ shone on stage with their intricately detailed floral elements; while women in hijabs proved that modesty goes a long way in fashion. Whatever your ethnic or cultural heritage, there is certainly something to take inspiration from.
The most surprising part of the show was the ‘Audience showcase’, when members of the audience volunteered to show off their #ootd as models on the runway. It was spontaneous, yet perfectly timed – after most designer-curated outfits were shown, we found it refreshing to see something more casual. Some audience-models walked hand-in-hand, expressing their mutual support for one another, and this positivity was extended to the fervent, cheering audience.
Photo by Sheila Mutua
