‘Shaped’, Space and SexyBack: A Review of VS 2026
Zoë Paddock
I would just like to make something clear from the beginning of this review: in my four years at St Andrews, I had never been to a fashion show. Though my first real awareness of the university was through Kate Middleton’s infamous sheer dress at a show in 2002; I had always thought that these events were too exclusive, too pretentious and, most importantly, too expensive.
But the promise of a glamorous evening and an excuse to wear something silky is my Achilles’ heel. So, when offered the chance to attend VS’s 2026 show, Shaped, I thought it would be an intriguing way to spend a Friday night at best. Little did I know that, as the night progressed, my cynicism would be dismantled.
The first step in my journalistic process was a spot of social media trawling. The content on the VS Instagram played into a glossy magazine aesthetic; the monochromatic portraits could almost double as perfume ads, the shots of women at a hair salon worthy of a centre fold. Compared to the designedly edgy aesthetic of FS, it felt like it conformed less to the zeitgeist and more to a classic vision of high fashion.
Indeed, attending the event consolidated my first impression. The venue, SPACE’s auditorium, housed a melange of sharply dressed attendees who collectively smelt like the perfume counter at Selfridges. Even before the show started, VS delivered on the atmosphere that its high resolution photographs tantalised. Far from the stereotype of ‘fashion people’, every member of the committee I met was warm and jubilant. From the team escorting us to and from the taxis (endlessly humorous despite the cold), to the creative director Lynn Pustelnik who greeted us at the door, charisma was the backbone of the show.
From the outset, it was clear that the theme Shaped was not a throwaway concept but one that was organically incorporated into every sequence. The show opened with two models backlit by gold lighting behind a translucent screen, their silhouettes falling across the stage. It was a striking abstraction of the show's theme and one that was truly visually distinctive. The curation was eclectic: the ethereality of Lilyblue Prine Ramus and Emma Bracken’s collaboration was contrasted by Samantha Smart’s rigid, impasto painted dresses. Zachary Armstrong Corbett’s collection flaunted pointed shoulders and cinched waists, reminiscent of Schiaparelli’s structured tailoring.
The models transitioned fluidly between facades of sultriness, buoyant confidence and balletic poise, adjusting seamlessly to the show’s tonal shifts. With a track list that moved between Art Deco by Lana Del Ray to SexyBack by Justin Timberlake, the tone swung like a pendulum, from melancholic to playful. Everything was meaningfully staged and deftly choreographed. The benefit of the venue configuration with a seated audience meant that everyone had a clear vantage point from which they could appreciate the show's intricacies.
During the interval, Pustelnik drew attention to VS’s chosen charity: the Desert Flower Foundation, who are fighting to end Female Genital Mutilation.
My only criticism of the evening lies here. In a prosecco fuelled state, many of the audience members talked over the promotional video for the charity. It was a jarring reminder that, for some, the ‘charity’ element of ‘VS St Andrews Charity Fashion Show’ was of little relevance. That said, this lapse in audience etiquette should not detract from the intentions of the VS committee.
Though a novice on the St Andrews fashion show scene, I can confidently say that VS executed an event that was slick, engaging and artfully constructed.
The opening sequence of VS St Andrews Charity Fashion Show
Photo by Zoë Paddock
