FS:X Behind The Scenes Part 1: Meet the Models
By Allie Davey
Get your latest fix of FS anticipation in our behind-the-scenes column for the show that’s set to rock St Andrew’s second semester.
For the fashionistas of St Andrews, FS is the big one; the real deal; the Goliath, if you like, of St Andrews fashion shows. It’s professional; so professional that over the past 18 years, they’ve sent their models down their catwalk clad in huge designer names such as Luca Luca, Miu Miu, Prada and Armani. And whilst this year’s main components are yet to be confirmed (we’ll be bringing you more on that later), the model team are most definitely assembled and ready for action. The press team tell me there are ‘lots of new faces’ onboard this year that are eager to work the runway and do their fashion duties. So I asked second year Alex 'Andy' Andreou and fourth year Isobel Oliphant what it’s like to be two of the newly appointed beautiful people.
'It literally just happened because one of my friends is the Assistant Creative Director and she said it would be cool if I went along,' Andy says of how he found himself at the FS casting with no previous modelling experience. 'At first I was really casual about it. I didn’t even go to the first initial casting. I only went to the call-backs at the end of the process,’ he explains. 'After I’d done the call-backs, I thought; this is something I’d definitely like to do.’
Similarly, Isobel, for whom FS:X will also be her debut on a St Andrews catwalk, thought that the casting experience was going to be really intimidating, ‘but it turned out to be a fun experience. A lot of dancing to "Sexy Chick" was involved!' Luckily for the pair, after what Andy described as a few ‘nerve-wracking days’, they were told they were to be part of the 19-strong model team. After that, it was a pretty immediate launch into a fashion-focused world of intense choreography rehearsals. The two-hour weekly sessions will pick up closer to the show, but for now, Isobel explains, 'James Matthews brings his decks and DJs, which is a nice alternative to an ipod, or Sasha Codinha [the show’s choreographer] rhythmically beats the floor with a cane. Partying is not allowed.'
The show’s first social and debut photo shoot (see the results on the show’s website, www.standrewsfashion.co.uk) followed shortly after the casting. Andy revealed that ‘the weirdest thing was having to wear the make-up,’ confessing to being prepped with foundation, eyeliner and eyebrow pencils at a local beauty salon prior to the shots being taken, as well as having his hair backcombed.
And as for the clothes? Andy tells us, 'We definitely got styled, but all the clothes were ours and an assortment of various other people’s. The theme was "dark autumnal tones". The creative team asked us to bring five of our favourite pieces that fit the bill, and then they chose and styled from that.' He assured The Tribe that none of the designer pieces have come in yet, but could reveal that there’s a tweed themed photo shoot coming up, seemingly in keeping with the St Andrews stereotype. So what do they think of St Andrews street style? Both agreed that the formula can get a little old. ‘Like any small community, the fashion scene in St Andrews can easily feel stale,’ Isobel notes. Andy expresses similar bemusement with the Barbour-and-Hunter cliché, joking, ‘The only people I knew before coming to St Andrews who had Barbour jackets were my mum and dad for when they go walking in the countryside…Everybody here decides it’s a necessary fashion item and it comes with a certain status.’ However, he later admits, ‘I do have a tweed jacket, but I only ever wear it with a hoodie underneath.’
Despite seeing the scene’s stylistic limits, Isobel also embraces that ‘there are always some people who manage to mix it up and do their own thing which is inspiring.’ She describes her style as ‘eclectic’ and cites the iconic photographers Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton amongst her favourite and most influential fashion icons. A definite ‘plan for pursuing work in the industry’ has already been set in motion: on top of previous modeling experience as the in-house model for friend Pamela Diem Willis’s jewellery line, Isobel has also embarked on the ambitious project of starting her own range of jewellery over the summer. ‘It’s been a blast watching it grow,’ she says, whilst giving us a heads up that it’s soon to appear on the FS blog put together by the show’s creative team. So whom would the budding designer most like to wear on the FS:X runway? ‘Baby Phat, by Kimora Lee,’ she jokes, before adding diplomatically, ‘I would love to wear anything that someone has had the confidence to make.’
Conversely, Andy’s laid back sense of style can be summed up in a few simple sentences: ‘I love a bit of French Connection. Shoes from Office. And underwear - Bjorn Borg. They’re just so comfy.’ And what if the show requires him to get shirtless as some of the male models were last year? ‘I’d be OK with it,’ Andy considers, before quipping, ‘It’d be months in the gym wasted otherwise.’
Certainly, a show on such a big scale sets the stage for scrutiny, and as the semester whizzes rapidly by, I ask them, are they anticipating nervousness before the big night? With big-name patrons Sarah Harris (Features writer for Vogue) and Daniella Issa Helayel (Designer of Issa London) in the audience, stepping out is unlikely to be without apprehension. ‘I reckon I’ll be extremely scared when it comes to walking the catwalk for the first time, but it will be fun,’ Andy figures.
Isobel points out, ‘The fashion shows are a fun way to accomplish several things at once. Raising money for charity, throwing a sick party and bringing some fresh pieces to the town.’ And as the sell-out success of the past shows proves, the town definitely looks forward to its yearly injection of fresh, FS fun. Bring on February, 2010!
Photography: Will Sinclair
To see more of Will’s photography go to: www.sinclair-photography.com
See more on FS:X at www.standrewsfashion.co.uk or follow their fashion blog at http://standrewsfashion.co.uk/blog/.
By Allie Davey
Get your latest fix of FS anticipation in our behind-the-scenes column for the show that’s set to rock St Andrew’s second semester.
For the fashionistas of St Andrews, FS is the big one; the real deal; the Goliath, if you like, of St Andrews fashion shows. It’s professional; so professional that over the past 18 years, they’ve sent their models down their catwalk clad in huge designer names such as Luca Luca, Miu Miu, Prada and Armani. And whilst this year’s main components are yet to be confirmed (we’ll be bringing you more on that later), the model team are most definitely assembled and ready for action. The press team tell me there are ‘lots of new faces’ onboard this year that are eager to work the runway and do their fashion duties. So I asked second year Alex 'Andy' Andreou and fourth year Isobel Oliphant what it’s like to be two of the newly appointed beautiful people.
'It literally just happened because one of my friends is the Assistant Creative Director and she said it would be cool if I went along,' Andy says of how he found himself at the FS casting with no previous modelling experience. 'At first I was really casual about it. I didn’t even go to the first initial casting. I only went to the call-backs at the end of the process,’ he explains. 'After I’d done the call-backs, I thought; this is something I’d definitely like to do.’
Similarly, Isobel, for whom FS:X will also be her debut on a St Andrews catwalk, thought that the casting experience was going to be really intimidating, ‘but it turned out to be a fun experience. A lot of dancing to "Sexy Chick" was involved!' Luckily for the pair, after what Andy described as a few ‘nerve-wracking days’, they were told they were to be part of the 19-strong model team. After that, it was a pretty immediate launch into a fashion-focused world of intense choreography rehearsals. The two-hour weekly sessions will pick up closer to the show, but for now, Isobel explains, 'James Matthews brings his decks and DJs, which is a nice alternative to an ipod, or Sasha Codinha [the show’s choreographer] rhythmically beats the floor with a cane. Partying is not allowed.'
The show’s first social and debut photo shoot (see the results on the show’s website, www.standrewsfashion.co.uk) followed shortly after the casting. Andy revealed that ‘the weirdest thing was having to wear the make-up,’ confessing to being prepped with foundation, eyeliner and eyebrow pencils at a local beauty salon prior to the shots being taken, as well as having his hair backcombed.
And as for the clothes? Andy tells us, 'We definitely got styled, but all the clothes were ours and an assortment of various other people’s. The theme was "dark autumnal tones". The creative team asked us to bring five of our favourite pieces that fit the bill, and then they chose and styled from that.' He assured The Tribe that none of the designer pieces have come in yet, but could reveal that there’s a tweed themed photo shoot coming up, seemingly in keeping with the St Andrews stereotype. So what do they think of St Andrews street style? Both agreed that the formula can get a little old. ‘Like any small community, the fashion scene in St Andrews can easily feel stale,’ Isobel notes. Andy expresses similar bemusement with the Barbour-and-Hunter cliché, joking, ‘The only people I knew before coming to St Andrews who had Barbour jackets were my mum and dad for when they go walking in the countryside…Everybody here decides it’s a necessary fashion item and it comes with a certain status.’ However, he later admits, ‘I do have a tweed jacket, but I only ever wear it with a hoodie underneath.’
Despite seeing the scene’s stylistic limits, Isobel also embraces that ‘there are always some people who manage to mix it up and do their own thing which is inspiring.’ She describes her style as ‘eclectic’ and cites the iconic photographers Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton amongst her favourite and most influential fashion icons. A definite ‘plan for pursuing work in the industry’ has already been set in motion: on top of previous modeling experience as the in-house model for friend Pamela Diem Willis’s jewellery line, Isobel has also embarked on the ambitious project of starting her own range of jewellery over the summer. ‘It’s been a blast watching it grow,’ she says, whilst giving us a heads up that it’s soon to appear on the FS blog put together by the show’s creative team. So whom would the budding designer most like to wear on the FS:X runway? ‘Baby Phat, by Kimora Lee,’ she jokes, before adding diplomatically, ‘I would love to wear anything that someone has had the confidence to make.’
Conversely, Andy’s laid back sense of style can be summed up in a few simple sentences: ‘I love a bit of French Connection. Shoes from Office. And underwear - Bjorn Borg. They’re just so comfy.’ And what if the show requires him to get shirtless as some of the male models were last year? ‘I’d be OK with it,’ Andy considers, before quipping, ‘It’d be months in the gym wasted otherwise.’
Certainly, a show on such a big scale sets the stage for scrutiny, and as the semester whizzes rapidly by, I ask them, are they anticipating nervousness before the big night? With big-name patrons Sarah Harris (Features writer for Vogue) and Daniella Issa Helayel (Designer of Issa London) in the audience, stepping out is unlikely to be without apprehension. ‘I reckon I’ll be extremely scared when it comes to walking the catwalk for the first time, but it will be fun,’ Andy figures.
Isobel points out, ‘The fashion shows are a fun way to accomplish several things at once. Raising money for charity, throwing a sick party and bringing some fresh pieces to the town.’ And as the sell-out success of the past shows proves, the town definitely looks forward to its yearly injection of fresh, FS fun. Bring on February, 2010!
Photography: Will Sinclair
To see more of Will’s photography go to: www.sinclair-photography.com
See more on FS:X at www.standrewsfashion.co.uk or follow their fashion blog at http://standrewsfashion.co.uk/blog/.