Taking part in the RBS Indian Summer challenge, a group of enthusiastic entrepreneurs joined student teams from 14 of the UK’s top universities in a 24-hour fundraising challenge to compete for the chance of winning a three-week trip to work in the RBS Mumbai Office. As part of their hectic day raising money for the Prince’s Trust, Sela Motschwane, Abigail Holsborough and Heather Mckay hosted an ‘ethical’ fashion show. Transforming Cambridge’s Ta Bouche, the team showcased a striking synergy of local designing talent and high street fashion.

F: What inspired you to organise a fashion show for the competition? 


H: We brainstormed quite a few ideas, but the overriding feeling was to run with a fun concept that we could connect to personally. Sela runs a fashion company, Touch of Africa, and I have been modeling for roughly 2 years. I love fashion and I really enjoy modeling, so a catwalk show seemed the most natural choice. 










F: Why did you choose to showcase these particular brands?

H: We wanted to host a fashion show that made a different kind of impact. Not just a display of stunning clothes. Seeing as the goal was to promote sustainable business ideas that had a positive social bearing, we felt a show that raised the importance of ethics behind fashion reached towards our ideal goals.

F: What is it that makes these designers unique and ‘ethical’? 


H: We looked to local designers, such as student designer Yazmin Lucy Greener from Anglia Ruskin, to highlight the young, fresh and innovative talent in Cambridge. Why should high street stores dominate what we students wear? Her collection promotes creativity and resourcefulness in style. 

Touch of Africa was founded in March 2011 and aims to bring the best of modern African fashion to the UK.  Generating jobs within previously disadvantaged communities, the company promotes fair trade through helping exciting designers take confidence in creating traditional, distinctive, high quality clothing. 

http://touch-of-africa.co.uk/store/index.php

We were also able to show a collection from GD-Designer Style Hire, a local company that rents out gorgeous designer dresses to students for affordable prices. With access to a huge array of beautiful gowns, including Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood, DVF, Joseph, Calvin Klein, Marios Schwabb and Hugo Boss, no matter what your financial situation is you can have the opportunity to stand out, confidently and individually, at any of Cambridge’s events. 











Check out their deals for May Ball dress hire here!

http://gd-designerstylehire.co.uk 

F: How do you think ‘ethical’ fashion should be encouraged? 









H: I believe that both the manufacturing of clothes and the girls who wear them must uphold this ‘ethical’ image. We have to be responsible where we spend our money. It’s so easy to pick something up on the high street without thinking about how it was made, despite the huge publicity against ‘sweat-shops’. There are so many ‘ethical’ brands out there, but it’s our ultimate duty to buy from them.

F: What are your favourite pieces from the collections?

H: My favourite piece in the entire collection was the long blue coast dress that I modeled on the catwalk. I am not into ‘glitz’ much when it comes to my own clothes, but the dress managed to incorporate glamour and sophistication in a way I really liked. However, if I have to say what piece suited my personality a little bit more, I would choose the Touch of Africa dress. It was a bit of fun with a splash of colour that I could see myself wearing out. 











              

F: Is there anything about Spring / Summer 2013 fashion that you really love? 


H: It has to be the fact that I can once again wear sunglasses and shorts! I need all the vitamin D I can get!











The show presented a huge variety of beautiful, unique dresses and each collection wore an ‘ethical’ label for different reasons, exhibiting accessible, sustainable and creative fashion from all cultural backgrounds. I’m sure this show will inspire more fashion events in Cambridge, fueling more excitement in Cambridge’s style scene.

Thank you Heather! I’m sure we will be seeing more of her modeling in this term’s summer shoots!