A Soulful Solstice: Reviewing the Catwalk 2026 Launch Party

An hour before the Catwalk launch event, I suddenly felt the need to buy new shoes. I didn’t have a pair of heels that would match a cocktail dress in formality while not being entirely impractical for the rough cobblestones that separated my Melville room from the Niblick Restaurant & Bar, where the party was to be held. Determined to succeed without calling a taxi, I zipped on a pair of thrifted boots to match my dress and set off towards the foreign land of the Old Course. Firmly set in my version of St Andrews social life — a life of thrift stores, student bands, and discounted flat whites — I never expected to find myself at the £25-a-ticket event. 

Catwalk 2026 Launch Party

I realised that I had been fretting for no reason at all when I walked into the party. The women, who had departed from the little black dress (LBD) uniform, were dressed in various neutral shades, with a clear trend of chiffon and lace overlays that suggested everyone had bought a new outfit just for the night; I was surrounded by a wave of trendy synthetics. The men seemed to have entirely forgotten how to dress for a cocktail event; I spotted every level of formality, from button-ups and jeans to a perplexing combination featuring a tuxedo jacket atop an otherwise semiformal outfit. Only one outfit — featuring a gorgeous fitted teal silk top and tiny Prada bag — felt truly interesting. After some time mingling and sipping on my delicious frozen cocktail, we were led downstairs to the golf museum section within the venue to watch the show. 

The models were all stunningly beautiful and dressed in all black – the women sporting the sharpest of stilettos. I loved seeing the little personal touches that each of them brought to their collective image: tattoos, vintage jewellery, and carefully-styled hair added depth to the otherwise simplistic outfits. There was a palpable sense of excitement at being a part of the greater Catwalk project.

 Catwalk 2026 Launch Party

The work of choreographer Sasha Savaleva impressed me enormously. Models reached their hands to the sky, moved in varying synchronised rhythms, and — in a stunning centrepiece to the show — rode on one another’s shoulders in perfect balance. The show ended with a touching moment between a model and her mother, who closed with an embrace in the centre of the runway. In a video screened afterwards, the theme of the show, “Solstice”, was presented through motifs of renewal, harmony, and transformation, and in context, the choreography conveyed a sense of awe at the world around us. 

Despite the impressive routine, I found it hard to draw a line between the earthy theme of the show and the lack of commitment to local designers or sustainable materials. Although I was told that Catwalk was ‘looking into’ local sponsors, I got the sense that there wasn’t a clear ethos behind who they would be partnering with, and they weren’t willing to reveal much about their plans. I understand the need for the element of surprise, but I had been looking forward to learning about the sustainable choices that Catwalk would be making. When I asked more directly what considerations were being given to sustainability, I felt the question was being deflected; I was informed, instead, about their photoshoot in a nearby field and their embrace of St Andrews, with little interest in branching out beyond the bubble to understand what makes Scotland as a whole so special.

Catwalk 2026 Launch Party 

One of the committee members even mentioned that this event was an ”excuse to buy new earrings” from Lovisa, which added to the sense that the creatives behind the show had no actual commitment to sustainability. I’ve done that myself at times, of course, but I felt this interaction pointed to the overwhelming amount of fast fashion on display in the audience, and perhaps in the future show. 

Every Catwalk member’s passion for the organisation was admirable; I could tell they genuinely cared about putting on a great show with people who meant a great deal to them. Everyone I spoke to highlighted how Catwalk put effort into being a family and a tight-knit community that did not feel competitive or exclusive. It is up to the audience to decide whether those values, and the appreciation for the environment that one would assume is central to the artistic thesis of “Solstice”, come through in the final show.

Article written by Taya Sergeeva