Ireland’s largest student-run fashion show is set to return to Astra Hall in UCD on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th of April. Put together by over 150 staff and students, the 31st UCD Fashion Show is set to feature student models alongside the competition to select the UCD Fashion Show Young Designer of the Year, which is being contested by nine designers.
The Fashion Show also serves as a fundraising event for a chosen charity. The 2017 Fashion Show raised almost €5,000 for Jigsaw, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, a mental health service that exclusively focuses on young people between 12 and 25. The 2018 Fashion Show will raise money for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC).
Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the DRCC, explained how the charity works to ‘prevent the harm and heal the trauma of rape and other forms of sexual violence.’ Blackwell said that ‘creative and engaging fundraising events like the UCD Fashion Show help raise much-needed funds as well as awareness of the services we provide to anyone affected by sexual violence’, and thanked everyone involved.
Barry Murphy, UCDSU President, said that the UCDSU team and student committee ‘put lots of work into creating an event that allows UCD students with an interest in fashion, design and modelling to showcase their ability.’ He noted ‘it’s vibrancy, creativity and style will show the depth of talent in the field here on campus and will hopefully involve some of the designers and models of the future.”
Ciarán McShane, a Statistics and Mathematics student, is the producer of the 2018 Fashion Show. McShane explained how this year’s event will be taking inspiration from the work of Alexander McQueen and noted the stylists are ‘working hard and around the clock to create an avant-garde experience worthy of celebrating the clothes, sets, music, makeup and artistry of McQueen’s eclectic career, and we’re incredibly proud of and excited by all the ongoing preparations in progress to make this a memorable and outstanding night.’
Fionnuala Moran, Deputy Editor of GOSS.ie, is the MC. Organisers expect around 1,500 people will attend the event over the two nights. Tickets cost €15 for adults and €12 for students. They are on sale in the UCDSU shops on campus, and online at entspay.com.
Cian Carton – Editor
