By: Sophia Penelope Hill

It’s no mystery to anyone that this is a fashion obsessed school. For some reason, fashion shows are the way we all connect here in St. Andrews. Whether you run one, or model in one, or do press for one, or go just to have a great time…almost everyone here knows the scene and participates willingly. The fashion landscape at St. Andrews is driven by a few classic shows that have spanned decades, like FS, DW, and Sitara. But something happened this year at St. Andrews that I hadn’t seen before in my time at the school, a NEW fashion show. I heard rumbles of it in the beginning of the year, and it intrigued me. Sort of like the first day of school when the new kid walks in, and everyone turns to look quizzically. Then my friend Jack Shanley was cast as a model, and I knew it was a done deal. I HAD TO GO NOW! And I had an absolute blast. The show was atmospheric and vibey, fun and energetic, but also short enough that you didn’t lose interest. But I was still curious about how this concept came together; what was the inspiration? And how had the show tapped into a community at St. Andrews that spoke to so many? I sat down with the show’s directors Dominic Reynolds and Sagar Kumar to discuss the conceptualization of the show and the journey to the stage.

I was personally very unfamiliar with the VS music scene in the years prior to the show, but the idea stemmed from a house party. Which then turned into a music collaboration, adapting to the crowds demands of underground hip-hop and grime. Later last year, the group partnered with Sitara to help them with the music for their show. Here, the duo decided that they had larger dreams for what VS could potentially be; striving to make the biggest impact on the student community as possible. Coming into this year, the two decided to cultivate a creative vision and therefore a creative team to help them achieve these goals.

VS’ ultimate goal was to construct an event centered around streetwear fashion and aesthetic, while emphasizing components that revolved around that theme. The music served as the main element. With music as the keystone, everything orbited around it; the choreography, the clothes, the entrances and exits of the models…it’s what made the show. VS used music that was familiar to everyone in the audience, songs you could dance to or sing along with. I believe this element added to an intimacy, and therefore a personal investment from the crowd. People felt an interactive sense of engagement with what they were seeing on stage. The team collected the looks from a myriad of sources: private collectors, department stores, and upcoming designers. The show included vintage Louis Vuitton, Supreme fleeces, colorful puffer jackets, and flamboyant sports bras. One of the designers had even been featured at Vancouver Fashion Week. The show also included some swanky and chic looks from the show’s charity’s Choose Love and Whiteleys Retreat.

As this was such an entrepreneurial effort, both Reynolds and Kumar both emphasized how important the dedication of the team was to the event. And how much they both grew from the process of constructing the show. It pushed them to worker harder than they ever had and learn how to adapt and thrive to follow this dream through to the end. I was thoroughly impressed at how committed to achieving this dream they both were, and incredibly happy to see it come to fruition with such positive reception. They imparted the advice that anyone who wanted to start something similar in St. Andrews should follow their passion, and just put in the work to see it through. Now the team is focused on legacy: what will VS be in the future and where can the brand grow. I am personally very excited to see this show expand and serve the community, and feel lucky to say that I was able to witness the birth of something very new and monumental in St. Andrews.