One of fashion’s greatest qualities is its ability to offer an escape from the reality of our everyday lives. On Monday night Trinity Fashion Society hosted their 6th annual charity fashion show, Into the Woods, to do just that. Held in Soder + Ko, the sold out show explored the complementary relationship between fashion and fantasy through the lens of urban grunge styling. This year the event was in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières and The Berkeley Fund, both of which resonated deeply with attendees in light of recent international events. The show promised to provide a temporary escape, launching us into a world of fantastical and surreal fashion.
The audience were taken through a sartorial narrative of seven chapters: Picnic in the Park, Rose Garden, Fairies, Woodland Creatures, Under the Troll Bridge, Psychedelic, and Cloud Watching|Star Gazing, all of which were assigned their own unique aesthetic. This segmentation gave considerable freedom to the styling team, who, accompanied by the punk-fantasy hair stylings of David Marshall, amassed several standout looks throughout.The decision to style thematically rather than projecting trends for next season ultimately worked in their favour, as it allowed for a more interesting presentation. But perhaps seven stylistically distinct stages was too ambitious. Certain looks felt like unnecessary fillers, for instance a raglan sleeve shirt with black jeans or a plain black jumpsuit. The heavy use of sequin throughout the Psychedelic and Star Gazing chapters also grew predictable.
The Fashion society ought to be wholly commended on the diversity of their show. A widely representative selection of 27 students modelled both casual and formal looks across a range of womenswear and menswear. Admittedly, menswear suffered a more restrained approach to the theme, the repeated use of traditional streamlined silhouettes were evidently less adventurous than their female counterparts. Considering gender dress codes are becoming increasingly liberated, this was a missed opportunity. Indeed, the more successful looks were those that played with the gender binary upheld by contemporary silhouettes. These included a tulle transparent skirt paired with a sparkly bandeau, a dramatic tiered mini skirt dramatically counterbalanced by a deep V bodysuit, and the combination of a long vintage leather coat and turban. It was in these looks that the aims of the styling team felt most actualised.
Another focal point was the work of Trinity students Dylan Kerr and Aoife Gaffney, who each showed two original designs. Speaking to Dylan after the show, he revealed that his sculptural knit dress, that closed the first half of the presentation, was inspired by the textural qualities of woodland creatures. This fascination with texture manifested itself in a sophisticated fusion of wool, alpaca, merino and silk. The technical achievements of the piece were impressive and Dylan’s rigorous utilisation of wool acted as an acute homage to a longstanding tradition of knitwear in Irish fashion design. Aoife’s botanical inspired dress sequentially followed Dylan’s as the opening look for the second half of the show. Her design was a dexterous marriage of fantasy and urban grunge that fused leaf details onto a skillfully tailored contemporary silhouette. Evoking the mythical while being grounded by its contemporary form, the piece was a poignant realisation of the theme. As the annual event has become an important platform for student fashion, it was pleasing to see the society use this opportunity to uncover two emerging talents, who, in the end, served as their greatest assets.
The night bowed out on an unexpectedly comedic note as several chairpeople from Trinity societies pranced down the runway in looks that were emblematic of their society. Despite being a rather disjointed finale in terms of the overarching theme, it was an effective way to focus the event back to Trinity and its students. With their combined dedication, professionalism and creativity, Trinity Fashion Society successfully executed a night of fantastical fashion, while at times tethered on the predictable, still made for a very enjoyable experience – much like our most beloved fairy tales
