More than 10,000 hours of work went into this year’s Vogue Charity Fashion Show (VCFS), estimates Shayna Buckle (ArtSci ’20), one of three creative directors behind the production.
The twenty-third annual VCFS hit the Grand Theatre from March 5 to 7. With a record 182 members this year and several new teams and positions, VCFS shows no sign of slowing down.
Since its debut in 1997, VCFS has raised over $500,000 for local charities while providing a creative outlet for students. This year, the show’s executive team chose to support Youth Diversion, a charitable organization that aims to bring the community’s youth incarceration rate to zero by working with at-risk youth, their families, and the community.
The goal this year was to raise $75,000, according to Co-President Daniela Melis (ArtSci ’21). However, VCFS doesn’t stop the buck with financial contributions. The cast and crew invested over 200 hours volunteering directly with Youth Diversion outside their club commitments.
Community is paramount to VCFS, whether that means the community of the City of Kingston, of the Queen’s student body, or within the club itself.
“I’ve always been most proud of our impact on the community,” Creative Director Kiera Forse (ArtSci ’20) said in an interview.
The other members of the creative team agree.
“We have these really important charities making differences in people’s lives here in Kingston, and for me at least, knowing how much of an impact Kingston has made on me and my heart, it made me feel like coming to Queen’s was right,” Buckle said. “It’s about the team. None of this would’ve happened without all of us.”
That sense of team, of togetherness, is the backbone of this year’s theme, “As We Are.”
Photo by Jenny Zhu
“Together, we can make the world strong, but only together. No matter what, every person has a really important place in making the world an amazing place to live,” Forse said of the spirit behind the theme.
The creative team took inspiration from people around them—their friends, family, partners, even fictional characters—and came up with eight personalities that embodied these people to guide the eight scenes in the show. The personalities were “dreamers,” “artists,” “realists,” “Olympians,” “rebels,” “lovers,” “jesters,” and “tempestuous.”
The theme was chosen not just to celebrate the diverse personalities that make up humanity, but also to celebrate the ways in which those different personality facets can exist within a single individual.
“The show really speaks to the flexibility of human spirit and personalities,” Buckle said.
Photo by Jenny Zhu
At the opening night, in the final scene, “We are One,” eight models donned styles from each of the previous scenes. The eclectic mix of colours, cuts, and fabrics came together seamlessly in a demonstration of what can be achieved when people come together in unity.
The audience whistled and shouted supportively throughout the show. Some cheers even soared above the music during performances, which themselves were an example of synchronicity and togetherness.
One notable performance was an a cappella rendition by The Caledonias of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.”
The energy of the theatre followed audience members into the lobby after the show, where the cast and crew were swept into group hugs, showered in congratulations, and presented with bouquets of flowers.
Based on audience reaction alone, it’s fair to say the show was a success.
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.
