St Mary's Calne
The transformation of Top Hall into an illuminated atelier fit for fashion week in Paris or Milan was just what we all needed at the end of a dark, damp and cold November. 'Fashion & Fizz', a fashion show in aid of the charity Loving Humanity had been the vision of Head Girl Katya and her Deputies, Poppy and Aurora, for some months and to watch the culmination of their plans and dedication over the past few months was a delight.
The purpose of the fashion show was not only to bring all the different year groups together, but also to raise money. Founded by Amy Peake in 2014, Loving Humanity aims to support women and girls in parts of the world where sanitary products are virtually non-existent or at a premium. As the charity’s website states: ‘even in war zones and slums, girls and women need period pads’. The UVI had been captivated by Amy’s talk last year which formed part of the Sixth Form Lecture Series. Working with communities devastated by war and economic hardship, Peake and her team empower local people to produce and recycle the materials needed to cope with the inconvenience and potential embarrassment caused by monthly bleeding – the reality of which can impact on education and work. Amy justly exclaims, ‘how do women cope once a month in war zones?’ Passionate about the valuable work of this vital project, Katya, Poppy and their team raised over £2000 through their self-directed enterprise. On top of their packed schedules and UCAS applications, the girls used all their skills in planning, communication, and liaison to work with a variety of staff members, ranging from Housekeeping, Catering, IT, Logistics and Marketing.
The final result was a triumph and far more inclusive than any of the fashion shows I recall from my school days in the 1980s! Every girl in the school had been given the chance to participate in categories that offered maximum potential for creative interpretation: LIV - Barbie, MIV - 2000s fashion, UIV - St Trinian's. Each ruled the catwalk with flair and panache!
Equally, LV took the utmost care to research and style the theme of '80s Disco' with tremendous accuracy whilst UV took us back to the rodeo-inspired looks of the Bohemian era of the early '00s (Matthew Williamson and Sienna Miller please step to one side!).
The care that all the girls had taken over their outfits was superb and the attention to detail such as period-accurate make up was stunning. Most impressive was the section ‘Trashion’ in which girls of all ages modelled outfits created entirely from recycled materials and presented tiered, chain-mail skirts made from cereal boxes and utility trousers made from Sainsbury’s bags.
The finale was led by the UVI who took an ironic twist on the theme of British Icons and the UVI Ministers made everyone smile with their 21st century revival of the Spice Girls – a celebration of all that there is to love about Blighty – its street culture, sense of humour and diversity.
Dressed in stylish and professional black, Katya and Poppy ably compared this glorious event and curated an evocative playlist that complimented the models perfectly. The evening was such an enormous success that it is hoped that this small but mighty ‘pilot project’ paves the way for an annual charity fashion show at St Mary’s.
Dr Penelope Wickson, Head of History of Art and UVI Form Tutor