VS initially began as a music collective working to bring an alternative night out in St Andrews filled with grime and hip-hop tunes. In 2019, VS expanded by launching its first ever fashion show that continues today. Unlike other fashion shows in St Andrews, VS stands out for its urban, street wear reflected in its choice of venue, fashion and music. The VS launch event held on Wednesday perfectly encapsulated this.
Source: Asya Wu
I arrived to at the VIC a few moments before the event began. Guests still hadn’t arrived, so I got the chance to catch a few glimpses of the models and dancers rehearsing. The energy in the room was full of excitement and anticipation as models went over their walks and placements. Once guests started trickling in, the models disappeared to prepare for their reveal.
As people started filling up the main room of the VIC, everyone stood around the ‘runway’ clearly marked by red lights on the floor. The launch opened with VS’s very own hip hop dancers. This was the perfect opening to the launch, capturing the hip-hop and urban vibe of VS. The decision to include dancers in the launch speaks to VS’s mission of being more than just a fashion but a creative group more broadly, as Sagar Kumar, Director of VS explained to me. The aim of VS is to raise and donate £1 million to charity through various creative mediums, seeking to create a platform for underprivileged artists and creators, making it much more than a fashion show.
Source: Asya Wu
As the models began their walk, the crowd erupted in cheers admiring the edgy ‘streetwear’ outfits. The models walked an elaborate choreography, clearly well timed and practiced, delivering an amazing performance. The clothes worn by models were a mix of clothing from sponsors, VS’s personal collection and model’s choices. Sagar highlighted that the launch was primarily to introduce the models for the year – not the clothes. So the decision to allow models to choose their outfits allowed for a level of personalization.
When the model walk ended, the music surged, and the crowd filled the entire room dancing to hip hop and grime. While the main room was reserved for dancing, the social room of the VIC was quieter, perfect for those who preferred to grab a drink and chat. Here, I got a chance to interview the Director of VS, Sagar Kumar.
Source: Asya Wu
When asked what makes VS different from other fashion shows in St Andrews, Sagar said that “VS is a fashion show for the people, we allow an unprecedented transparency and behind the scenes access.” He further highlighted the interactive nature of VS social media engagement in which “our Instagram and Facebook are full of behind the scenes content and polls to ask people what they want to see at future”. VS seeks to involve people to show the full creative process of fashion and other projects they are involved in.
This year’s theme is Revival, inspired by the hardship people have gone through as a result of Covid-19. Revival speaks to the easing of restrictions that have allowed people to be out and about, socializing and creating. With this in mind, VS’s fashion show scheduled for February 10th is bound to bring a unique take on the fashion and creative scene in St Andrews.
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