Interview with LRFS Model Managers
By Anna Venediger
Leeds event of the year, Leeds RAG Fashion Show is back and making more of an impact than ever. This year the show focuses on making an environmental difference, raising money for two exceptional charities, Hubub and Plastic Oceans UK. Hopefully going beyond last years raisings of over £23,000, they aim to increase this to £30,000.
With only a couple of months into planning, the committee are working harder than ever to change the way it has been run before, with lots of exciting fundraising events planned, all sustainable of course! Getting the ball rolling on Tuesday 12th November is their pub quiz with lots of prizes up for grabs and keep 26th November clear in your diary for their official launch party at Belgrave.
The model casting last week had an amazing turn out and we got the opportunity to interview the two model managers, Ruby Farrant and Maddy Bailey who are making this show more inclusive than ever. We are so excited to see the outcome of the show in February over two days, so no one is left disappointed of missing out.
What are you most excited about this year?
We’re both really excited to see how the scenes evolve. It will be great to see how our models fit in to their themes, and how the show starts to take form with our choreography, as well as the styling and production.
Are you looking for anything specific in the models?
The models that we have selected all had a sense of individuality, and personality that stood out to us. We were looking for confidence and sense of self as well as wanting to have a really diverse cast in terms of body type, gender and ethnicity.
How many models do you cast?
We have cast a smaller group this year as a nod to our sustainability charities. Only 84 models have been cast as opposed to previous years when excess of 100 were cast. This made the selection process so much more challenging, as we were having to say no to so many great candidates.
What does sustainability mean to you?
I think in terms of the LRFS, sustainability is all about making ethical choices when you’re buying clothes. Obviously, we all know about the harm that fast fashion has on the environment. So, we both try to make better decisions when buying clothes, like buying second hand, or using sample sales.
Describe your own style.
Ruby: Quite androgynous, like to feminise male clothes, prefer a muted colour palette.
Maddy: Prefer more masculine clothes, like baggy jeans and jumpers (bit 90s/00s), very casual. Also, am not ok with any shoes other than trainers!
Key LRFS Dates:
Monday 12th November: Pub Quiz, Revolution De Cuba
Tuesday 26th November: Launch Party, Belgrave.
Tuesday 3rd December: SOMETHING EXCITING – keep your eyes peeled.
Friday 28th and Saturday 29th February: Leeds Rag Fashion Show.
Saturday 29th February: LRFS After party.
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leedsragfashionshow/
Instagram: @leedsragfashionshow