Written by Angelika Santaniello
Photography by Oliver Chan
When contemplating London’s fashion scene, an individual’s mind may initially consider seasonal fashion weeks, the rise of trends, and fashion’s representation of the city’s vibrant, multicultural population. Embedded within this aesthetic consumption of fashion is a vital discussion on the industry’s accessibility and inclusivity frameworks. How, on a smaller-scale, university level, does one address both the nuances of fashion and its problematic aspects?
The annual LSESU RAG (Raising and Giving) Charity Fashion Show took place on Wednesday 19 February, as one of RAG’s flagship events that involved both LSE students and London’s creative community. It aimed to address the flaws of the fashion industry, presented on the eponymous Instagram page as being “not just about fashion – [instead, about] making a difference”.
Interpreting the show’s theme – ‘Reawakening: Threads of Resilience’ – Sachin, the RAG Vice President, asserted in his pre-show speech that “this theme is incredibly relevant today as it represents how people can rebuild their lives on the backdrop of such horrific circumstances,” tying the show to the society’s charitable cause.
The show raised money for RAG’s three charity partners. The Sharan Project provides essential advice and support to South Asian women facing domestic abuse, honour-based abuse, and dowry violence in building independent lives. Women for Refugee Women supports women who were forcibly displaced by war and persecution. Moreover, Care4Calais delivers emergency aid to refugees in Calais and other areas along the Franco-British border.
Commenting on RAG’s support for the charities, voted for by the student body, Sachin offered his own perspective: “These organisations are not passive. They have real and tangible impact, and this is why we do what we do.”
Sachin also pointed to the light-hearted and community-building nature of RAG’s event: “We are focused on putting the fun in fundraising.”
Introducing the show, Elma, General Director of the fashion show, explained the genesis of the theme: “It started with a very brief idea of dreams and nightmares.” Elaborating on this, Anoushka, Creative Director, told the audience, “We [looked into the charities’] stories and started building from [that] – it is that common thread of resilience that you have to have to face the ups and downs of life.”
Concluding their speech, they stressed: “We hope you can see a piece of yourself in the story.” “There is a saying that art is stagnant, but fashion is moving art.” Certainly, viewing fashion as a “moving art” broadens an outlook on the art, creating a space for individual perspectives. This pivotally nurtures a view of fashion at LSE that builds opportunities for ordinary students at LSE.
Students’ immersion in the fashion show spearheaded the show, notably in the space created for student-led passion projects. The Venue event opened with a performance by the LSESU Pole Fitness society. Whispers of awe resounded through the Venue amongst the audience members, with some filming their friends who were part of the pole performance. Reflecting on the dancers’ professionalism, an attendee remarked that “it’s amazing that they can do this and then go to class.”
Amara, the fashion show’s PR Director, and President of the Pole Fitness Society, spoke to The Beaver about the atmosphere backstage. “We had done showcases and competitions before [but] it was a bit of an unknown,” she summarised.
Addressing the scope for integrating more sports societies into projects like the fashion show, Amara highlighted that the Pole Fitness Society “[trains and learns] these moves to perform. [Opportunities are] great because other students also get to see it. We have had people want to join us before because they have seen our performances before.” This reveals the inspirational quality of a fashion show that incorporates student-led societies that display different students’ passions.
Contrasting with the powerful pole performance that utilised a deep red lighting, the fashion show opened with the theme of ‘dreams’ – a whimsical, tranquil opening. The enmeshing of various patterns that characterised the garments with an atmosphere of pale lighting and harp music submerged the audience in a dreamscape experience. The ephemeral energy sharply diverted with the subsequent ‘nightmare’ section, which was characterised by more commanding walks and darker fabrics. However, these antithetical sections were complemented by more neutral tones and cooler lighting in the final sections that used music with heavy bass beats and whimsical bells reminiscent of the first section.
The audience was presented with the image of models with individualised walks, emanating an energy of excitement towards wearing unique, designer pieces that they felt confident and empowered in.
However, this leads to a wider discussion on the accessibility and inclusivity arrangements of the show. To explore this further, I went behind the scenes ahead of the show to unpick the fibres of a university fashion show.
Inside the Weston Studio, where participants got ready for the show, the atmosphere was professional and supportive. Inevitably, there were pockets of stress, reminiscent of the backstage sentiment at professional fashion shows. This points to a healthy environment being at the crux of building a fashion show that is representative of the LSE community.
Eva, a third-year International Relations student, provided an anecdotal perspective to her journey modelling for this year’s show: “There was a casting call where we got to meet the team. I think this was a nice addition because it was less about picking who was going to walk, more [about getting a feel] for what it was going to be like.The team was really supportive, always there to listen to our concerns.”
Reflecting upon the means of encouraging more people to get involved with fashion, Sophie, a model representing the Running and Athletics Society, noted that “getting involved with something like the LSE fashion show is a great way because it’s super welcoming.”
Similarly, Eva noted that “sometimes [she feels] LSE lacks the creative culture and energy”, rendering the fashion show “a [fun] way to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone but still in an environment that you know you’ll feel comfortable in.”
Speaking to Aman, a third-year Social Anthropology student and one of the show’s photographers, reinforced the role of events like the charity fashion show in encouraging creative passions among students. Aman specified that she wanted “to voice the entire event as accurately as possible. Being able to reassure models that their hard work paid off backstage after the show was a wonderful feeling.” “This experience is a testament to the power of collective collaboration and has only fostered my desire to pursue professional photography further,” she explained.
Overall, providing an inclusive and uplifting space for the creative students, who formed the building blocks of one of RAG’s flagship events, to nurture their craft centralises the importance of accessibility in student-led projects. Visually, a blend of abstraction and individual expression created the lattice of the RAG charity fashion show, incorporating sonorous elements and London’s creative community to reinterpret a fashion show framework. However, RAG’s emphasis on encouraging an active engagement with fashion to curate a professional environment – supplemented by a unique LSE spirit and sense of familiarity – shaped this year’s fashion show as a vessel for embracing fashion’s inclusive and accessible potential.
