“All sizes and genders welcome” reads the poster calling for models for KCL Fashion Society’s annual charity fashion show.
At the end of January, King’s College London Fashion Society held model auditions for their annual Charity Fashion Show to be held in mid-March. The show is in collaboration with SmartWorks Charity who supply formal interview wear for unemployed women in need, named the Social Action Charity of the Year by the National Charity Awards in 2017,
This will be the first time that King’s holds an independent fashion show, having participated in co-hosting the London University Modest Fashion Show the previous academic year.
The society mentions that they invited young designers based in the UK to present their work, many of them recent graduates. KCL Fashion Society President Monica Sawhney states “this show will give them a chance to showcase their work and push their collections through exposure”.
The Audition poster specifically included “all sizes and genders welcome” inviting students of all backgrounds. When asked about this the society’s president responded that they “specifically asked for King’s students to audition, regardless of their experiences on the runway or how they looked”. Sawhney wants students to know that students of different genders, sizes, and ethnicities are always welcome to KCL Fashion Society events, although the fashion industry itself is not as accepting.
King’s student Anjela Gona mentions she was initially pulled to the auditions because of the line on diversity stating she came to incorporate Asian representation”.
During the audition itself, the members of the Fashion Society were very welcoming to all participants encouraging and complimenting them when they presented doubts.
The up and coming designers have free hand in choosing which models will wear their creations on the catwalk.
The Fashion Society hopes that anything they produce in the future will reflect the diverse King’s student body. Another more every day project that mirrors this approach is their Instagram series ‘Style on Campus’ which shares pictures of fashionistas at KCL.
