RAG's Fashion Statement :: Wessex Scene Online

RAG's Fashion Statement

15th August 2005
Simon Cable

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The SUSU RAG (Raise and Give) department recently treated students to their biggest event of the year.

The Fashion Show and Urban Festival at the end of term went off with a bang and raised several thousand pounds for charity.

Katie Martin from RAG who masterminded the event, told the Wessex Scene that "the RAG team never realised quite how much was involved in organising such an event, having never done anything quite like it before, until the fashion show madness begun".

The members of RAG had been building up for this fashion show evening since the beginning of October 2004. Miss Martin added that despite all the preparations that went into organising the show "when the event actually came around, it went so quickly we wondered whether it had all been a dream!"

The weeks of stressful organisation and other rehearsals had clearly paid off as the performance went virtually flawlessly with everyone comfortably seated and cheering as the models appeared on stage. Clothes had been loaned to RAG by a number of high street stores in Southampton: Kew, Coast, Republic, Moss Bros, Legends and FCUK. Hair and make up for the models, who were volunteers from AU clubs, were done by local salon No More Blues.

Entertainment was also provided by a variety of societies, ranging from street dancing to a spectacular ultra-violet display by the juggling society, who entranced the audience with fluorescent hoops to music by Faithless.

Following the fashion show, RAG auctioned off all the models to do a variety of things from the Rugby boys washing cars for a fiver, to three of the female models having a wet t-shirt fight in the bidder’s house that went for a staggering Ł100.

Three more models, this time male, were also auctioned for Ł100 to cook a three-course meal dressed only in their shorts. Andy Wilson, SUSU President and Peter Derrick, SUSU VP Welfare, were also sold off to cook dinner for a lucky bidder. Wilson and Derrick were unaware that they are to be dressed as women and that photographic evidence will be required.

The total amount raised has not been confirmed, but the RAG treasurer, Natalie Pincher, estimates that it is in the region of Ł3,500.

RAG are also planning to hold the same event again next year following its rapturous reception. In the meantime, they have many more events lined up to persuade students to give their change to charity.

For more information on RAG and any of their events, please email susurag@soton.ac.uk