GCFS 2024/25: ESSENCE

The news is out, for the GCFS theme this year, we’re taking a wander through the surreal, passing social constructs to get to the true ESSENCE of ourselves! 

Inspired by Rene Margritte’s painting, ‘The Lovers’, which depicts a couple kissing through their fabric hoods that prevent any true intimacy, Essence guides us towards the deeper core of our relationships both with each other and ourselves. The theme is the brainchild of our wonderful creative director, Craig. Hot off the back of our theme reveal party, I asked Craig to tell us a bit more about the theme and his ideas behind it…

Give us a brief description of the theme.
This year ʻEssenceʼ is our creative concept. It is an exploration of societal investment in individuals, identity, and behaviour - and how such investment shapes our perception. Essence seeks to undermine social constructs and what it means to be the ‘norm’. Essence combines darkness and uncertainty with unconventional extravagance in helping viewers discover their indispensable qualities which exist beyond the constrictions of socially enforced ideologies.

What was your inspiration behind it? Was there any particular moment, thing or person that gave you the initial idea?

I was largely inspired by Rene Magritte’s ‘The Lovers’ painting which encapsulates the uncertainty and distrust that can pervade even our closest relationships. This pushed me towards developing a theme that evokes a sense of unknown identity and challenges viewers to reconsider their perceptions of self and others. Our theme reveal video presents this as the starting point for ESSENCE, having our two models Baptiste and Mamaati bring this painting to life. I have also drawn a lot of inspiration from surrealism in general, looking to incorporate a warped and irrational perspective into the theme which reflects the sometimes stark contrast between our outward expression and our intrinsic qualities we may conceal.

Did you take any inspiration from past themes (and do you have a favourite from past GCFS shows)?

Not particularly no, I wanted to take GCFS on a darker journey which differed from the lighter tones of the past few themes. I am definitely inspired though by the really high standard of our previous shoots and the way past creative directors have managed to execute their visions. If I had to pick a favourite it would be CLIMAX from 2021/22. I think it has a similarly abstract and uncertain foundation to ESSENCE and I just loved all the shoots, the garments, the variety - everything!! 

How does your theme relate to the work that CHAS does?

I think ESSENCE relates to the work CHAS does by looking at challenging societal perceptions, constructs, stereotypes, and the unfounded basis of ‘norms’ - looking to celebrate fundamental commonalities we all have with each other and finding tranquility in our unique and distinguishable experiences. CHAS so positively supports and uplifts children and families during really daunting and difficult times - I think ESSENCE could be linked to this in looking to undermine how our social constructs define and constrain individuals.

GCFS Focus on Fundraising Week 2024/25

As the biggest student fundraiser in Glasgow, our charity is at the heart of everything we do at GCFS, with our whole campaign being carried out with an aim to fundraise as much as possible for our charitable partner Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, and bring awareness to their work

Focus on Fundraising Week (FoF), is an annual initiative where we focus on our charitable aims and values. Everyday for 5 days, we bring focus to our charitable partner, how we fundraise within GCFS, and run various different fundraisers to raise money for CHAS. This year, we have a packed FoF calendar, including the release of our ‘Chats with CHAS’ interviews on our socials, a bakesale on GU campus, a special Christmas themed Sip N’ Paint at The Record Factory and last but not least a Basketball Tournament in collaboration with GUSA Basketball. 


As part of the FoF programme, we also want to highlight all the amazing work done within GCFS as a society that drives our campaigns every year and has made us the biggest student fundraiser in Glasgow. Every member of the society from the Committee to the Models and Brand Ambassadors, each put so much work into their roles, including each taking on a personal commitment to do an individual fundraiser throughout the year which goes towards the total raised for CHAS. 


From the events to creative shoots, fundraising initiatives and sponsorships deals, customised graphics and production planning, the scale of the commitment shown by our team each year is incredible. It’s amazing to see all the different projects that happen every year, supporting one another in our fundraisers and coming together as a community to further our charitable aims. 


To find out more about how the GCFS team fundraise and we asked them to tell us about their individual fundraisers, and why they are so passionate about GCFS and supporting CHAS. 


Rose (President)

Being the President of GCFS is one of the toughest challenges I’ve taken o during my time at university but also the most rewarding. I really love this society so much. It’s brought me friends for life and allowed me to find new strengths I never knew I had. Most of all, knowing that all the work we’re doing each year is going toward such important causes makes me so proud to be a part of GCFS. In particular,  doing the individual fundraisers is such an integral part of the GCFS experience no matter your role, and it’s so fun to see everyone’s ideas throughout the year and support eachother in our projects. In the past I used the individual fundraiser to reconnect with some of my hobbies I’d been neglecting, for example when I was a BA and did custom paintings to raise money. This year I want to use my fundraiser as a way to challenge myself and do something different, therefore this year I’m planning to do a running challenge, leading to doing one of the Glasgow Winter Warmer Runs in February! 


Louisa (Charity Coordinator)

Having had previous knowledge of CHAS I knew that GCFS had chosen an incredible charitable partner. I was eager to do my part in raising as much money as possible for a charity that has made a difference for so many families facing unimaginable challenges. By participating in Glasgow’s Winter Warmer Run I hope to push myself for a worthwhile cause and hopefully get a bit fitter in the process! 


Madison (Model)

This is my first year in GCFS, and it is so heart warming to be a part of something that is not only such a fun experience, but is also for a really good cause. This year’s charity partner, CHAS, does such invaluable work and I’m so excited to support them. My fundraiser is a pottery painting night in January, for which I teamed up with The Craft Pottery. I’m confident it will be a lovely night for creativity, which is such an integral part of GCFS. I would also like to thank Beth at TCP for being so willing to work with me on this! 


Katie Ford (Charity Fundraising Assistant)

Having spent time in hospital myself last year, I have gained first-hand experience of the amazing work done by NHS doctors and nurses. This has made CHAS a charity that is especially close to my heart. The incredible support they provide to children in hospice care, as well as their families and the NHS staff who care for them, providing moments of joy during this increasingly difficult time, is both inspiring to see and incredibly rewarding to know the impact we are making through GCFS.

As Charity Fundraising Assistant, I often engage with local Glasgow businesses to secure charitable donations for our fundraising efforts, including raffles and events. It's amazing to see the enthusiasm and generosity of these businesses in supporting this charity, as their contributions directly impact our ability to fund events and raise funds and awareness for this important cause. I also play a role in organising and running events such as our recent fundraiser, Mission Impossible, which proved highly successful. This was such a fun event to be a part of and enabled me to meet like-minded people on the committee whilst also raising funds for CHAS. 

For my personal fundraiser, I am eager to push myself and will be running the Glasgow Winter Warmer half marathon in February in the hopes of making a real difference for this incredible Charity. 


Emma (TikTok Content Creator)

This is my second year being on the GCFS committee, with my role this year being TikTok Content Creator which is super exciting! Being part of GCFS is such a rewarding experience, the show last year was a huge sellout and watching everyone’s hard work come to life was a feeling I’ll never forget. This year for my individual fundraiser I will be offering personalised styling boards (styling account @ems_styled_it on Instagram and TikTok) with all proceeds going to CHAS. I wanted to combine my love for fashion with raising money for such an incredible charity and I feel like this is the perfect way to do it!


Mamaati (Model)

Being part of GCFS and planning my fundraiser has honestly been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my year. I am honored to be a part of such a noble cause, and learning about CHAS and everything they do is more than enough motivation to put everything I can into fundraising and getting the word out. My fundraiser is a Pints and Raffle at Bizarron on 29th of November at 9pm. Prizes include movie tickets, coupons to Bizarron, free Sub Club entry, and more! 


For more information on how to support our team, check out our socials for updates on all our events and initiatives, as well as more information on individual fundraisers!



MEET OUR MODELS

Meet the Models

Our committee has grown! Over the past month we finished recruiting our brand ambassadors and models. Since they will be, for many, the distinguishing faces of GCFS, we thought we should introduce you to some of our models. Read about their fundraising plans and worst fashion moments, as they prepare their poses and practise their mewing in preparation for the show in less than four months time!

Sarah 

Sarah studies at the Glasgow University, and if her degree was a person they would wear an ‘I love Sociology shirt’ and “one of those tremendous white parliamentary wigs”. All committee members have to raise £150 each for our charity, CHAS, so for her fundraising Sarah plans to “design on thrifted and donated clothes” - ever the sustainable sociologist. When asked what her worst fashion moment was, Sarah said, “I used to wear really high waisted pants that reached to my ribs”, in an “involuntary Obelix (from Asterix and Obelix) cosplay”. 

Chieh Yang

Chieh also studies at Glasgow University. If their degree was a person, they’d wear “office siren style clothes”. I’m thinking business? They’ll be impeccably dressed regardless. To meet their fundraising target, Chieh is planning either a DJ night or murder mystery night, though I’m sure combining the two would make for the most interesting evening. Chieh had some traumatic memories when asked what her worst fashion moment was: “my obsession with this banana matching set when I was in 6th grade. Horrendous.” Maybe…bring it back for the show? Just a thought.


Kiara Pearce

Kiara is an english literature student, so if her degree was a person they would, of course, wear a “Jane Austen inspired regency dress with the waistcoats and all”. Another possible show fit I reckon! To fundraise, Kiara plans to hold a group bake sale with her friends and also unearth her inner depop-girlie to sell her clothes online. Like Chieh, Kiara’s questionable fashion moments have long passed. She recalls one “pink shirt with the words ‘R U Kitten Me Right Meow’ on it” (she was eight). I’m sure she could get at least £20 for it on Depop.

Matt Darragh Blake

And finally we have Matt. He also studies at Glasgow University and if his degree were a person they’d wear a “lab coat with a calculator in the top pocket”, so no prizes for guessing what college he’s part of. For his share of fundraising Matt plans to organise a charity gig, so look out for tickets if you want to support him! Unfortunately Matt fell victim to the skinny jean phase in 2018, but rest assured he’s out of that now. Though with the indie sleaze revival, maybe he’ll fall back in soon? God truly gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. Catch him (and his jeans) at his gig to see how he fares.

MEET OUR COMMITTEE

With just over four months to go until show day, we thought it was about time to introduce some of our incredible committee members! 

From our sponsorships team to events organisers, our content creators to fashion coordinators, there is nothing short of a small army behind GFCS. The GCFS central committee brings together a group of almost 50 student volunteers from across Glasgow. Our committee functions by complete collaboration, and we wouldn’t be able to put on ever-more ambitious shows and surpass fundraising targets each year if we didn’t bring together a host of different skill sets from across the city. With the help of our student brand ambassadors and models, every ounce of work that goes into organising and fundraising for GCFS is conducted by the committee and wider team. This ensures complete creative and organisational control while, more importantly, maintaining a volunteer fundraising ethos at the heart of the society.

I asked some of our committee members why they got involved and what they are looking forward to most this year. Read on to put some faces to names (and maybe get inspired to join us in person at our theme reveal party this Friday - tickets here)!

Olivia Lalieu she/her 

Vice President

“I wanted to get involved with the Glasgow Charity Fashion Show because of the legacy of incredible work they’ve done over the last 11 years.  Each campaign makes a real difference, raising money for Glasgow based charities and creating positive change in our local community. I am most excited for the coming year’s show. After meeting the whole team at our most recent social, I feel we have a really good bunch of dedicated, creative, genuinely lovely people on our committee and I’m looking forward to working with them to raise as much money as possible for our chosen charity this year, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland. 

Matthew he/him

Marketing Director

“I wanted to get involved in GCFS because of the amazing work they have done in the past raising money for charity. GCFS is also an amazing place to meet a group of great people at university and I really feel like I am part of a community. I applied to be Marketing Director of GCFS because I believed it suited my skills and interests the best - having an interest in both the creative and business sides of how GCFS works. Being able to work with all the other directors and committee members to bring their visions together is exactly what I was looking for! I am most excited for one of our up-coming social media series which we are currently organising. All to be revealed soon!”

Sophie she/her

Fashion Coordinator

“I got involved with GCFS as I wanted to meet people who shared the same passion for expressing themselves creatively! I joined last year, and really enjoyed that I can work with others towards benefitting others through our charity work. I applied for fashion coordinator as I wanted to get a taste of the Glasgow fashion climate, and was interested in collaborating with designers to bring their creative visions to fruition. I also figured I should put the endless hours I spend on Pinterest to good use. Defo most excited for the show !!!! The show last year had such good energy, I’m really excited to play a bigger role in it this year.”

Joy she/her

Events Director

“I got involved with GCFS after wanting to get to know people with similar interests to mine, doing something I enjoy and supporting charities that make a real impact. I applied for the new role of events director after really enjoying my time as an events team member last year. I saw an opportunity to expand the events offering of GCFS whilst raising more for CHAS. In this role we gain first hand experience of the events industry and transferable skills for future roles. It’s also fun to throw big parties and club nights :) I am most excited for the show of course, but the theme reveal party is a new challenge for us this year as we have booked a big venue with top DJs. Pulling it off will be rewarding for myself and the team and hopefully we will make a stamp on the Glasgow community and GCFS will be known for hosting great events.”

Emma she/her

TikTok Content Creator

“I first got involved with GCFS last year as a Production Coordinator as I am currently studying International Fashion Branding and so thought it would be great to get some hands-on experience within the industry. I am naturally a creative and organised person so I wanted to take on a role which combined both of these skills. I met lots of really amazing people and raising money for such an incredible charity was so rewarding and made me want to reapply for the role of TikTok Content this year! I love creating content and keeping up to date with the latest trends so this felt like the perfect role to change things up. A highlight so far has been increasing our engagement and growing our following on TikTok, we are currently on the road to 500 followers which is really exciting (so get following to keep up with all things GCFS)! I am also of course really excited for the show this year and to find out our fundraising total - everybody on the committee is so dedicated and hardworking and it really pays off to know that we are making a real difference to people’s lives.”

Riona Clifford(she/her)

Sponsorship Team

“I got involved with GCFS because I wanted to combine my interest in fashion with my passion for making a difference through charity work, and GCFS was the perfect way to do this! The Sponsorship position is ideal for me because it allows me to play a key role in building partnerships by connecting with brands that help make the show possible. I’m really looking forward to attending the fashion show and seeing the real impact of my work. It’s exciting to know that the partnerships I help bring in will contribute to the event’s success.”

Juliette Sartori (she/her)

Production Director

“I originally got involved because I’ve always loved fundraising for charity and thought the idea of doing a fashion show for charity sounded super fun! It was so amazing to be part of such an amazing fundraiser and get to see the meaningful impacts it has made on the Glasgow community. I started last year as an events team member and loved the entire process leading up to the show as well as the full on set up for the show so I decided to apply to be a director this year! I am most excited to see the show as everyone on every team is working so hard to put on an amazing evening! My highlight so far has been getting to tour so many fun venues and fully envision the show as well as getting to know such an amazing committee in the process!”

Evie Glen (she/her)

Press Coordinator

“This is my first year involved in GCFS but I remember coming across it in my first year at uni, and thinking it would be such a great initiative to be part of! I applied for press coordinator because I really wanted to work on the website and blog (I’m the one writing this post currently!), and it’s such a great role since I get to work with all the different teams across the society. Obviously, I’m most excited for the show, but I’m also really keen to get to know some more of the committee and to work with the external press and publications across the city.”