CATWALK Solstice: Night And Day

‘Why are there so many fashion shows in St Andrews?’ That’s the question I found myself and the many other attendees of St Andrews’ CATWALK Charity Fashion Show asking. With what feels like one every week of the Candlemas semester, I can imagine this phenomenon seeming totally obscure to those outside of the St Andrews bubble. What exactly justifies having quite so many fashion shows in one town?

One attendee told me that the reason there is a plethora of fashion shows is merely because “everyone cares about fashion.” Sarcastic or not, I believe the statement is far from the truth. After all, how many in attendance truly draw fashion inspiration from what’s on stage, or see it as anything more than an upmarket party?

Those attending CATWALK, are in any case making a difference by doing so. Each year the St Andrews Charities Campaign, its organiser, raises money for three different charities: one local, one national, and one international. This year’s show was in support of Fife Women's Aid (local), Centrepoint (national), and Médicins Sans Frontières (international). There are five subcommittees that are dedicated to raising money over the course of the school year: Events, Race2, Challengers, RAG, and, of course, CATWALK. So when attending the latter event myself, I was expecting to learn a bit about these charities they were raising for. Yet, I found little to no representation of these organisations. 

Anyway, I digress — let’s take it back to the bus ride dropping me at the back entrance of the Fairmont. So much for a luxury experience; fellow passengers snipped that it made them feel like ‘peasants.’ It was at least exciting to have moved beyond the beach ball flinging realms of Younger Hall where CATWALK took place in previous years. However, inside there was not much to do. The frigid temperatures made it unbearable to mingle outside, the bar was overcrowded, and any chance to explore the property featured heavily in the show’s advertising was hindered by the show taking place in a backroom. The only place to go was to the ballroom where the stage was. I found a seat behind the reserved section and hunkered down to spend another 45 minutes twiddling my thumbs and people-watching before the show actually started. Meanwhile, a DJ played music that the girls next to me equated to evoking a “Roblox waiting room.” Indeed, CATWALK somewhat resembled Dress to Impress — albeit a little less pink and perhaps offering a more complicated theme than ‘Day at the Beach’ or ‘Supernatural.’

This year’s theme was Solstice. According to the digital programme, they aimed to explore the contrast between light and dark. The intermission demarcated this; the first half of the show focusing on ‘bare-boned’ looks and the second with a more bright and fun atmosphere, which had the audience cheering and clapping along. This was something that didn’t happen at all for the duration of the first act. At the beginning of the show, the models appeared to be wearing a base layer, most of which I have an inkling came from their own closets. There was little to no information about where any of the clothing came from or if any of it was student-designed, which threw the focus on the fashion itself into question. I enjoyed the whole spectacle but felt pretty disappointed in the real purpose of the show. Don’t get me wrong, there were some unique pieces on the runway but the majority were disjointed. Some of the models swapped outfits, which could have worked but there was no attempt at restyling when someone else wore the same thing. It became clear that the night was less about the fashion and more about the performance. As for fitting the theme, the music throughout did most of the heavy lifting in creating the aesthetics whilst the lighting seemed more of an afterthought. The technical aspects of the show did work in its favour. Meanwhile, the models took well to the choreographed modern dance-esque movements, despite a few missteps. The show as a whole was fun to watch, as long as you didn’t go into it expecting to see haute couture or the latest styles from Milan.

One qualm that I had with the structure of the show was the aforementioned unnecessary intermission. I understand that the purpose of the break was most likely for the models to change their hair, makeup, and clothing — all of which I did enjoy more in the second half of the show. However, the break gave the overall impression that it was a way to get people to spend more on drinks and the raffle. Don’t get me wrong, I love a glass of wine at an event like this. However, I was discouraged from partaking when I heard the exorbitant prices; I was told by the group next to me that their friend spent £54 for just two drinks. I’m not sure if the prices were set by CATWALK or the Fairmont, nevertheless whilst the pricing discouraged some from partaking, most tapped their card and didn’t bat an eye.

At the end of the night, I left the Fairmont with little knowledge about the charities or the fashion, but for being my first fashion show in the St Andrews scene I can still see the appeal.

Photo: Natalie Contini