Words by Lena Sophie Eckgold

Edited by Rachel Hambly and Bailey Tolentino

Opening scene of the VS 2026 *Shaped* Fashion Show. Photograph by Sarah McGonigle.

What began as a hip-hop music collective under the name Versus Music has, in recent years, established itself as one of the major fashion shows in St Andrews. Today, VS has evolved into a multidisciplinary production treating fashion, performance, and music as equal elements. The 2026 fashion show was defined by the theme Shaped.

Creative Director Lynn Pustelnik described the theme as a dual movement, as ‘versatile shapes of our bodies and clothing’; but also ‘the relationship between us and the world around us.’ Shaped thus refers not only to the form of clothes but also to the bodies that shape said clothing and to the ways St Andrews, as a town, shapes identity.

On 20 February 2026, the VS Fashion Show took place in the auditorium of the Space accommodation. The room was minimalist, with red-lit surfaces and green accents on the walls and, of course, the catwalk. Two screens flanked the stage, displaying the VS logo.

Red-lit auditorium at VS 2026 *Shaped* Fashion Show. Photograph by Sarah McGonigle.

At 9:15 p.m., the lights went out. The red curtain opened to reveal a taut, semi-transparent foil. ‘Art Deco’ by Lana Del Rey began to play. Behind the foil, a dancing couple appeared, their silhouettes immediately visualising the theme. When the material was torn open, and all 22 models stepped through, a shape was literally created by breaking through the fabric.

According to executive Gabriella Trautmannsdorf, a smaller model cohort was deliberately chosen, selected not ‘because of their looks, but because of their energy.’ Natural make-up and restrained hairstyles directed attention to the body and posture.

The music for the show was primarily pop and sing-along-friendly, including ‘Sexy Back’ by Timbaland, ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ by Arctic Monkeys, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen, and ‘Starboy’ by The Weeknd. The atmosphere in the audience was exuberant, amplified by shouts and cheers from the models’ friends.

In terms of fashion, the theme was most evident in silhouettes. Many looks worked with deconstruction, avant-garde ripped denim (such as Ammie Chzhan and Isobel Fincham), layering, or fabrics worn as capes. Aiden Yertayev integrated a visible hanger on the back as an ironic revelation of fashion’s construction. Draping and precise tailoring emphasised the body. Transparency dominated, particularly through chiffon, tulle, lace, and silk-like fabrics. Other designs played with volume through ruffles, balloon shapes, or elongated shoulders, as in Zachary Amstrong Corbett’s pieces, shifting physical proportions toward sculptural forms.

VS models in avant-garde silhouettes that emphasize form. Photographs by Sarah McGonigle.

Floral patterns, leopard print (as seen on Kelsey Mae Greig), psychedelic motifs, and cow prints (OddBalls) further extended the exploration of shape from silhouette into surface. A feminine visual language ran through several collections. Illeana Paola presented white fabrics with rose appliqués made of pink crochet; Mina Seong worked in a punk-kitschy, hyper-feminine style – including a pink dress made from an inflatable pool mattress – alongside lingerie designs with lace and suspenders, and a bridal look by Harmonious Designer. This was contrasted with minimalist everyday clothing, for example, George James’ striped basics or male models in classic-fit jeans. Props such as golf clubs were part of the show and extended the models' body lines when they performed a swing.

VS models in feminine looks. Photographs by Sarah McGonigle.

Even in the choreographed moments of the show, the silhouette always remained central. Two lifts and paired choreographies positioned bodies in spatial relation to one another. The success of these sequences in particular showed that the models’ extensive rehearsal time had paid off.

A choreographed face-off on the VS runway. Photograph by Sarah McGonigle.

After a fifteen-minute break, a film by the Desert Flower Foundation — the show’s charitable partner — was shown. The organization is committed to combating female genital mutilation – a practice carried out with no medical basis and rooted in structural gender inequality. The focus thus shifted from the aesthetically shaped body to the socially conditioned and injured body. The female body, in particular, is shaped both fashionably and politically by patriarchal power relations. The subsequent transition to models in black satin dresses with lacy blindfolds, accompanied by Adele’s ‘Skyfall’, felt abrupt. Whether this rupture was inappropriate or a deliberate reclaiming of control remains open to interpretation.

Five models in black satin dresses and lacy blindfolds. Photograph by Sarah McGonigle.

At the end of the show, all models moved across the stage holding red balls to ‘Apocalypse’ by Cigarettes After Sex, and form became a collective movement. The show ended shortly before 11 p.m. The afterparty at Vic, in collaboration with HAUS, returned to the club culture from which VS emerged.

Shape proved to be the structural principle of the evening. Bodies were emphasized, elongated, deconstructed, adorned, or deliberately exposed through clothing. A wide range of looks highlighted the breadth of the theme, offering a variety of conceptually engaged designs. The models performed with precision, particularly in the choreographic sequences, and the casting brought forward faces that were both beautiful and distinctive. At times, however, a consistent aesthetic thread seemed to be missing, and the sequence of collections felt only loosely connected. The emotional force of the show might have benefited from a slight reduction in choreographic control, as the emphasis on formation and synchronization felt overly constructed. Ultimately, the VS 26 successfully demonstrated that shape emerges from the interplay between fabric, body, people, and the town of St Andrews – and, crucially, from power.

VS 2026: Shaped