Fashion Show Sustainability Review: VS '22

By Ava Killbourn 

In this new series, the Sustainable Style St Andrews blog team will be assessing the sustainable and ethical considerations of St Andrews's many fashion shows, a social staple of our university's style-conscious culture.

This past Thursday, VS launched their second-ever fashion show at Falside Mills. In true VS fashion, the lights were bright, the music was booming, the energy was high, and the show itself was magnetic. The crowd cheered from the edge of the stages as each of the models came out in various stunning pieces from red leather Marlboro jackets to matching Arc’teryx windbreakers.

Photographers: Ollie Grimes & Josh Horan Media
Models (left to right): Christina Loannou, Leah Chen & Kiera Martin

A highlight for me was the neon knit pieces at the end, showcasing extraordinary detail, colors, and styles. It felt fresh and contemporary for such a well-used medium and the care of the designer was obvious in the clean lines and construction. Partnerships Director Lia McGibbon was kind enough to tell me this collection is by Sophie Vivien Carder and made out of recycled sea plastic! I got a chance to catch up with Lia a few days after the show; here's what she had to say in response to my questions.

If you had to break it down, what would you say are the three most important things you are looking for when choosing a piece for the show?

'The three most important things for us when choosing a piece would be that it is unique, sustainable, and has an interesting story behind it.'

Photographer: Josh Horan Media
Models: Sam Robinson, Gabrielle Yuschenkoff, Estelle Alexandre, Tallulah Swinscoe & Jasper Burke

On your Facebook page you say that 'This event is a celebration of streetwear culture, hip-hop culture, and advancing our organisation's value of sustainability'. What are your metrics for determining the sustainability of the featured pieces? How strict would you say your ethical requirements are for a brand to be featured in the show? What brands are you most proud to showcase?

'Our ethical requirements are pretty strict, we’re very anti-fast fashion, so all our clothes are either reworked, vintage, or from small designers who are not involved in mass production. As well as being good for the planet, these pieces also tell a story: they’re more personal than a piece of fast fashion. We are proud to showcase all of our designers. Camila from Haus of Kitsch is amazing because she reuses fabrics and different vintage items to make some incredible looks. WeGotVintage were also a huge partner for us, lending us so many really unique vintage pieces. What’s so interesting about Evie and Matthew from WeGotVintage is that they’re university students who started a Depop page selling vintage clothes to reduce the environmental impact of their fashion as well as save money.'

In an Instagram post from September, you said you are ‘committed to partnering with brands sellers and collectors to display streetwear fashion that is secondhand or has been remade’. What role do you think remade and secondhand clothing has in the future of fashion?

'We are going to continue to see a growth in the popularity of vintage and secondhand pieces as a way to combat fast fashion and environmental issues. There’s no need to buy brand new clothes when there’s an abundance of secondhand pieces that, through purchasing, reduce waste.'

Photographers: Ollie Grimes & Josh Horan Media
Models: Shannon Thornton & Evie Graham

Overall, VS ’22 can be chalked up to a success. In an article for The Stand, Asya Wu said VS hoped to raise £1 million for charity. Co-founder Dominic Reynolds says they are waiting on the final total from Fixr and will release the amount raised shortly, hopefully with significant impact for their two charities of choice, Black Minds Matter and Choose Love.

The show was the apex of the night and, while it was fascinating and energetic, my one complaint was in its the timing. The last bus arrived almost an hour and a half before the show started which resulted in quite a long wait time for it to actually begin. Then, after 15 minutes of walks, there was a 15-minute intermission. Although I would have hoped for more amenities and a higher quality afterparty for a 50-pound ticket, the show itself was impeccable and the VS team seems to be as thoroughly committed to the ideas of sustainability and ethical sourcing as they proclaim. The hard work of the team certainly shone through this year as VS continues to establish itself in the hierarchy of St Andrews fashion. For pictures and videos of this year’s show, be sure to check out the VS Creatives Facebook or Instagram pages.