Charlie WindleThe Cambridge University Fashion Show welcomed 450 guests to the Union for a night of bright lights, fantastic clothes and high-class entertainment on Friday.
70 models displayed clothes in five wonderful walks, showcasing the clothing of 45 designers from Cambridge and beyond, around the theme ‘A Walk of Becoming’.
The event raised funds to support Refuge UK, the leading domestic abuse charity in the country, which operates extensively in the Cambridge area. So far, before ticket revenue, the show has successfully raised over £5,200 via a ‘Just Giving’ page.
The atmosphere of goodwill and charity was genuine and heartfelt, with President Paige Griffiths expressing her sincere thanks to the show’s sponsors, from the main sponsor fetch.ai, to colleges Lucy Cavendish and Christ’s and drinks companies like Soda Stream, Estrella Galicia and Jägermeister.
Interval entertainment was provided by DJ ‘Ozzy P’ and ballet dancers from Cambridge University Dance Competition Team (CUDCT), who staggered in clothes by Jasmine Hassan and added an element of class which last year’s interval lacked.
Altogether, the evening demonstrated the ambition of Cambridge’s student designers, combining technical skill with a clear engagement with fashion history and contemporary aesthetics.
Walk One: ‘Gilded’
Showcasing romantic opulence and aristocratic grandeur, this segment explored how ideas of elegance have evolved through identity and history, while incorporating elements of traditional decorum. It examined how traditional notions of elegance continue to influence modern fashion, as designers reinterpret romantic and decorative styles with greater personal expression and independence. The makeup, using high-placed highlighter and a surreal doll-like effect, was reminiscent of Pat McGrath’s work for Margiela.
Designers: Delaney Gamboa, Giorgia D’Anna, Goelet London, Erika Sereno Perez,
Saskia Dickinson, Anna Shirley, Sophie Keates, Sahar Atif, Cassie Adams, Lizzie Crudgington, Charlotte Lamb, Ava Connors, Jess Hammond, Isla Paine, and Dhruv Tank.
Walk Two: ‘Duty’
Drawing inspiration from periods of conflict and unrest, this presentation showed how social change can profoundly shape fashion and creativity. Clothing from uniforms to workwear highlighted how conflict impacts the creative arts, turning functional clothing into symbols of empowerment and discipline.
The buckles, belts and collars starkly contrasted the romantic elements of the first walk, with a clear focus on structural workwear, military style, and tailoring which may have been heralded by Jonathan Anderson’s debut at Dior.
Designers: Reece Donnison, JohnOswald Critchon, Saskia Dickinson, Dashan Cheng, Sahar Atif, Veronique Agossa, Umeima Hatim, Sarah Muldowney, Katie Bilton and Molly Harman, Jess Hammond, Anna Katrina, Lizzie Crudgington, Isla Paine, and Tala Lulu.
Walk Three: ‘Volume’
Exploring the cultural shifts from the 1970s and 80s, this showcase demonstrated bright colours and bold tailoring, signalling the moment when fashion became designed for movement and spectacle. It honoured an era when fashion moved away from restraint towards celebration, shaped by autonomy, politics, and glamour.
Blending the structural intensity of Thom Browne’s 2023 Fall/Winter walk with the playfulness of 2000s Moschino, the crochet and knit elements served to enrich and complicate the textural layering of the complex garments on display.
Designers: Delaney Gamboa, Frankie Farrall, Erika Sereno Perez, Merve Ulu, Cassie Adams, Addam Araki, Harleen Kaur, Teddy Nottingham, Gaby Philpott, Little Green Dress, Lizzie Warner, and Ying Zhong.
Walk Four: ‘Grit’
Exploring the punk rebellion of the late 20th century, this collection exhibited the monumental shift in fashion, when designers redefined style as protest. Capturing the spirit of disruption and speaking to the reshaping of fashion history through subculture and confrontation, the collection was clearly inspired by Vivienne Westwood.
The tartan and colour palette clearly leaned into the punk style, backed up by hints towards the Riot Grrrl movement and accentuated by plastic and leather elements.
Designers: Preethi Kosanam, Joni Roberts, Sally King, Saskia Dickinson, Tala Lulu, Addam Araki, Yutong Zhang, Constance Vielma, Sophie Keates, Lizzie Warner, and Jess Hammond.
Walk Five: ‘Morph’
Embracing the theme of futurism and speaking to evolution and innovation, this collection placed the continuous dialogue between technology and human progress at the heart of its creative vision.
The show culminated with this fantastic futuristic vision, not far from the cyberpunk style celebrated by Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. It was interspersed with effervescent pieces, with constructions of translucent tulle and crepe celebrations of natural beauty set against more humanoid scientific elements.
Designers: Umeima Hatim, Preethi Kosanam, Leenah Acqueel, Dhruv Tank, George Light, Mo Zhou, Cassie Knowles, Addam Araki, Isla Paine, JohnOswald Critchon, Mihaela Downman, Ayesha Bhutto, and Jess Hammond Please donate to CUCFS models for Refuge via the following Just Giving link: https://www.justgiving.com/team/cucfsmodels2526
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