Headlines
"Doing a little turn on the catwalk"
Vintage Fashion Show, Dame Edna et al
14th May 2010
Sometimes we go to school and college events just to support the kids – sometimes we wish we were anywhere else, but sometimes we actually find ourselves being glad that we made the effort. This was certainly the case at the Vintage Fashion Show held at the College on Friday, April 23rd in aid of the MS Therapy Centre in Hereford. The show was arranged by Diane Evans, the new Chaplain, and a large team of volunteers.
There had clearly been a huge effort put into getting the details spot on - the gentle jazz music in the Pavilion, a welcome glass of wine, nibbles and the authentic room layout all set the tone for the evening. One of the lovely touches was a waitress wearing a simple 1950’s day dress as she moved among the audience.
The clothes, music and pictures had been selected with care and Colin Thompson was clearly at home in the role of MC supplying just the right mix between historical background and witty asides.
In fact the fun didn’t stop with Colin, at strategic points in the proceedings the audience were treated to expertly delivered comic interludes – not really about fashion at all. The Three Tenors' ‘sketch’ for want of a better term had the audience laughing in the aisles – and the lovely Dame Edna graced us with her presence for all too brief a time.
The main business of the evening was the clothes, and all of the models carried themselves beautifully in fashions from the early 20th century to the present day. Hair and makeup were flawless, and even the shoes appeared to be authentic. There were many highlights, such as the 1940’s black Billie Holiday style dresses, but it was wonderful to see a simple frock from the 1930’s, modelled among the high fashion items in the presence of the lady who made (and presumably wore) it and an elegant 1940’s wedding dress modelled by the granddaughter of the original bride.
As we progressed through the sixties and seventies to the present day, more of the clothes were personal donations and the backdrop of photos of the clothes being worn in context really added to the intimacy of the evening. We were also treated to some really exciting performances from some of the students, notably from Samai who was at home in a number of roles including Michael Jackson and Shaft. And I am sure there was some rock and roll dancing in there somewhere! Congratulations to the excellent tech team for keeping music, pictures and models co-ordinated.
It was exciting to see some of the work that the current textile students are producing. The detailed sculptured flowers on the paper wedding dress and the beautiful jacket with a large rosette were stunning.
The show was fast-moving, thought-provoking and entertaining and raised over £1300 for the MS Therapy Centre. The organisers can congratulate themselves on a job well done for not only did they raise substantial funds and awareness for a very worthy cause, but they also gave the audience a truly memorable evening.
Thanks also go to Frogmore Photography.