SEMESTER 1 & JANUARY ROUNDUP

With just under a month until the show, our wonderful marketing director, Matthew, reflects on everything GCFS 2024/25 has achieved so far.

With only a month left to go until the show, we thought it would be good to take a look back and recognise all the hard work that has been put into the campaign so far. 

After just a few weeks of working together as a committee in late August we were excited to announce that the GCFS2025 campaign would be supporting the incredible charity, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). CHAS are central to our mission at GCFS with all money raised going towards the hard work they do to support children and their families with life-shortening illnesses.

To kick off our support for CHAS, a number of committee members and friends of GCFS hiked twenty miles across Edinburgh as part of the Kiltwalk. We managed to raise over one and a half thousand pounds which was an incredible start to our fundraising campaign! 

Freshers week came in hot with a huge campaign to push our name further out there and to talk to people interested in joining the team as models and brand ambassadors.  After over one hundred model castings, the creative team brought twenty six models onto the team who have put so much effort into the campaign this year. At the same time we brought on fifteen brand ambassadors who have helped us immensely by encouraging people to come along to our events and been invaluable to the events team. Thank you to everyone who applied or came along to castings - your enthusiasm was truly inspiring and we hope that many of you will apply again next year!

At the end of October the charity team put on our first ever Mission Impossible which saw teams race across the West End to complete different challenges with the chance of winning a number of incredible prizes donated by local businesses. Despite the rain it is safe to say a lot of fun was had and we can’t wait to see what the charity team do with Mission Impossible next year. 

Mission Impossible, Record Factory

Following on from the successful Pinot and Paint event in Freshers Week, the events team’s next big challenge was our Theme Reveal Party. Whilst being a yearly occurrence since our inception, the events team had massive plans to take the launch party to the next level. Held in BAaD in the Barrowlands the party was headlined by incredible DJ’s including Jamie Gunn, Charlie Preston, Deja, Patrice and SAnty and Nihasa from Glasgow University Electronic Music Society (GUEMS). We can’t say how proud we are of the events team and all the work they did for Theme Reveal which raised thousands of pounds and really did our theme, Essence, justice. 

ESSENCE Theme Reveal, Barras Art and Design

The charity team were back at fundraising in no time and launched another new endeavour known as Focus on Fundraising Week. The team worked hard to put on a bake sale, a bauble painting event at The Record Factory, and the social media campaigns ‘Chats With CHAS’ and ‘Fundraising with GCFS’. The week was finished in collaboration with the basketball team at Glasgow University who helped us host a tournament open to all. Thanks to everyone who took part - professional or beginner! 

Whilst all this was going on, the events team were hard at work collaborating with GUEMS to bring you House Party at Berkeley Suite. After a lot of effort across the entire committee we are proud to say that House Party sold out and raised over two thousand pounds for CHAS. We can’t thank GUEMS enough for how much time and effort they put into the night and the amazing DJs who played for us. 

Just earlier this month the events team worked hard alongside FemmeDM, a collective of female and non-binary DJs in and around Glasgow. Alongside FemmeDM, GCFS brought The Berkeley Suite alive with Transcend which was an exploration of the diverse musical history of the Glasgow club scene. Raising over a thousand pounds and selling out the venue, this was an incredible night filled with music, fun and joy. 

Alongside the events, social media campaigns, preparation for the show and the work of the sponsorship and charity teams, the creative team have been busy at work putting together a number of incredible editorial shoots that can be seen on our instagram.  These shoots explore the different aspects to our key theme of essence and we’d really recommend you check them out. 

Before we wrap up here, we’d also like to give a massive thanks to our sponsor Selective Personnel. Selective Personnel have been such a massive help and been involved in the campaign from the beginning. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to do as much as we have and we can’t thank them enough. 

The GCFS2025 campaign has been incredible so far and, for being a voluntary society, so much time and effort has been put into the campaign to bring students an amazing outlet to have fun and be creative alongside supporting a much-needed charity. Thousands of people have influenced, experienced and supported the campaign so far and we can’t wait to see you all at our show on March the 1st at the Old Fruitmarket. Tickets are running low, so buy yourself one while you still can here. See you then!

Dilara Findikoglu's FEMME VORTEX FW24

 Words by Jess Ions (she/her)

Jess is one of our fabulous models for this year’s show. She studies fashion design at Glasgow School of Art. You can follow her work on Instagram at @artjessmakes_ .

---

Since the rise in popularity of fashion shows, beginning in the early 1940s, there have been countless iconic moments; Issey Miyake’s APOC ABLE collection, McQueen’s SS 1991, and Mason Margiela’s ‘24 couture collection, to name a few. Amidst these household names, one of my favourite recent collections is by Turkish-British designer, Dilara Findikoglu, who’s FW24 ready to wear collection, titled Femme Votex, has had a powerful impact on the industry, challenging conventional gender roles in the workplace and exploring how to “destroy the corporate man” through fashion.

Findikoglu’s FW24 collection came about at the same time as the rise of the ‘office siren’ trend, and I see it as a catalyst for the popularisation of this trend. This saw women in the workplace redefining what is ‘appropriate’ to wear in a corporate setting, using fashion to improve motivation and hold a sense of power and air of importance. This is particularly impactful to me as I see it as a way of reclaiming and weaponizing female sexuality, but in a more positive light than it has been done before.

This was outlined in Findikoglu’s interview with Vogue behind the scenes at the show, where she says the collection is “about toxic masculinity – and being beyond it: [this collection is] a mass ritual to end it … to create a different reality, outside politics, borders, gender norms, any kind of systematic rules that have been created by hetero-patriarchal men.” Findikoglu also added she sees this collection is a representation of “divine feminine power somewhere beyond time, beyond reality, and beyond what is happening.”

‘As Findikolgu endeavours to end toxic masculinity though her creation of this alternate reality, she begins to slowly break down this societal construct in the modern world, transcending gender norms in the workplace as we know it.’

As Findikolgu endeavours to end toxic masculinity though her creation of this alternate reality, she begins to slowly break down this societal construct in the modern world, transcending gender norms in the workplace as we know it. This call for the end of toxic masculinity rose on social media as a counter to the popularisation of hetero-patriarchal misogynists such as Andrew Tate, and I feel this collection perfectly embodies this movement which is so current in our society today.

The whole collection goes against the ‘male gaze’ - what is seen as conventionally attractive and expected by society – notably through ‘unflattering’ silhouettes created by layering corsets on top of shirts. This can be a powerful tool for women as we realise we have the power to choose what we wear, despite what may be expected of us. Our choices of clothing can be used to instill confidence and power. I find it interesting how what you wear can improve self-esteem, which can be particularly useful in male dominated settings such as corporate workspaces. This links back to Findikoglu’s notion of “destroying the corporate man” and challenges the concept of gender roles in the workplace by recognising how the clothes we wear, such as wearing a suit as a woman, can have a much deeper impact, whether it is intended or not.

This “office siren” trend has seen a rise in use of the term ‘cunt’ in a more positive light, i.e. as a compliment. Feminism is a common theme seen across Dilara Findikoglu’s collections, and I really like how her collection leading to the rise of this trend has resulted in women reclaiming this word previously used in a far more derogatory way. The sexual undertone of the term ‘cunt’ reminds me of Findikoglu’s work, as aspects of this FW24 collection, corseted lingerie, leather accessories and dainty tops combined are inherently sexual, but also a powerful suggestion of dominance.

The location of this runway show, as well as the accessories, adds another layer of meaning to the collection. An eye-catching part of the show consisted of mock newspapers with the headline reading “Omg, Dilara is doing a Satanic orgy at a London church”. This further adds to her creation of the Femme Vortex, as this collection transcends systematic borders such as religion, while the church setting simultaneously strengthens the idea of divine femininity.

We have recently seen people analysing fashion collections in terms of how well one can tell if the designer ‘loves the women they are designing for’. Findikoglu’s work can be used to demonstrate a designer who carefully considers the wearer’s needs and requirements, as this is a ready to wear collection (as opposed to what we may see in couture). In this case, the clothes are designed to empower women, achieved through aspects such as the colour theory: predominantly black, white and red which are bold, powerful colours lending the wearer a sense of importance and sophistication. Additionally, we see a return of the cone-shaped breast silhouette, a well-known symbol of dominant feminine sexuality – developed by Gautier’s hyper sexualised version of the bullet bra seen in his 1983 runway collection.

Overall, Dilara’s Femme vortex creates a powerful alternate reality in which people dress according to their style, not their gender – thus eliminating typical gender roles as we know it. This collection is a tool to empower women and remove the gendered power imbalances we still see too often in the workplace.

Photos: Umberto Fratini/Gorunway.com

ESSENCE THEME REVEAL PARTY

Back in November, we all made our way to the Barras for the ESSENCE Theme Reveal Party. One of the biggest theme reveals we’ve ever held, and the first big event of the year, the pressure was on to really bring the party to the East End. In my humble opinion, the night couldn’t have gone better! Have a read at how the night went for Joy, our events director, and Matthew our marketing director.

JOY

How were you involved in the theme reveal?

I Coordinated the team in the search and booking of the venue, liaison with Djs, collation of prizes, planning of graphics, tiktok videos and promotion. On the night we organised everything from set-up to hosting!

How did the event differ from last year and what kind of vibe were you going for?

So this year we took a big risk in up-scaling the event from a low-key evening to the first big event of the year! I knew we could do it as my team are just the best. We were hoping to create one big party to celebrate the creative team’s beautiful concept whilst raising an ambitious target for CHAS. 

Vibe wise, we wanted the event to feel open and inviting and a place to dress up and enjoy some good food, drinks and music whilst getting to know everyone at GCFS! 

What was your reaction to the theme?

The theme is fabulous and what I love most is how everyone can take something different away from the stories we tell this year - it's exciting!

What was your highlight of the night?

My highlight of the night was actually our team debrief at the end funnily - I got quite emotional as I was so proud of the team and what we achieved in such a short space of time :) It was a special moment.

Did you spot any fab outfits?

Everyone was dressed so well I couldn't decide! I did love our DJ Darceys pink outfit though - so cute.

Any funny anecdotes?

As the digital screen was connected to my macbook when I tried to airdrop the banca di roma meal for two prize to a winner, my entire messages app decided to pop up on the screen 😂 Live events always have some random issue - It was funny anyway. Pretty sure it was texts from Nancy on our events team wishing us all good luck from Dublin as she had to miss the event 😂Not sure i've actually told her this lol - love ya! 

MATTHEW

What was your role for the night?

I helped to ensure that we had lots of content out on our social media for Theme Reveal especially on our TikTok! This was also my first time working with the amazing folk over at Lunar Print who supply us with all our print materials including all those amazing posters that were put up around Glasgow. On the night I put my amateur film photography skills to the test taking lots of pictures of the evening, many of which can be seen on our Instagram and Facebook.

What did you think of the theme?

Having already known the theme for quite some time I felt like I was in on some big secret and I enjoyed seeing the reactions and musings of my friends who had no clue what the theme was! 

What was the highlight of your night?

The highlight of my night had to be the amazing Patrice who was our first DJ on the decks. Find him on Soundcloud here !

Any favourite outfits?

There were so many amazing outfits of the evening that I couldn’t even begin to think of the best but the most important thing I think was that everyone felt comfortable in what they were wearing and were happy to be there having a fun time with friends old and new!

Summarise the night in three words!

Exciting, Diva, Proud.

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.