The annual Harington Fashion Show is more than just fashion and entertainment, it is a chance for the girls of St Paul’s to showcase their talent, hard work and sisterhood.
Held on 26 June, the girls traded their uniforms for wearable art and hit the runway, while cakes and musical performances were also a part of the festivities created by the young women during the show.
The Harington Fashion Show is the only female-led house event across the school, giving the girls a chance to get together and put on an event which shows their talents and influence on school culture. With less time to prepare this year due to the Covid-19 lockdown, they still managed to deliver in style.
“With the preparation for the show clashing with House Music, the girls didn’t have as much time as usual to organise the event this year. But when you set these girls a challenge they step up to the plate and I was extremely proud of each performance,” says Harington Day Housemaster Heidi Lewis.
Each girl is split into their nominated co-ed house in the school for the event; Sargood, Williams, Clark, School, Hall, Fitchett and Hamilton. Each house was given a continent to represent for the overall theme of the show – “all around the world”. The wearable art, cake and musical performance are all designed by the girls of each house to represent the culture and heritage of their continent.
“The show is more than just a competition; it is about our girls putting in their all and their determination to deliver was reflected in a polished and sophisticated performance,” says Mrs Lewis.
Fitchett set the bar high through their amalgamation of African influence. Their on-stage performance was complimented by a three-tiered cake depicting wildlife, Egyptian themes, and traditional architecture.
Hamilton House utilised their Antarctica theme with their own twist on the Disney classic “Frozen”. A white chocolate and vanilla cake portraying an Artic scene complete with polar bears and an igloo augmented the icy atmosphere in their stage performance and costuming.
Asia has a diversity of cultures and School House’s three-part outfit represented this variety. A full-sized Chinese dragon taking the stage was a highlight, and the judges’ attention was captured by a two-tiered cake covered in handcrafted cherry blossoms.
A flax and feather outfit from Williams House breathed life into Oceania as they were tasked with representing the range of cultures the continent presents. The hand-woven outfit along with their overall performance encapsulated our own corner of the world.
The smorgasbord of cultures that make up Europe was entrusted to Hall House for representation. They symbolised this through the variety of depictions of the most famous landmarks from the continent encased in glass shards, symbolic of a broken snow globe. The Spice Girls were brought back to life with their musical number, keeping the audience entertained.
North America was depicted on the catwalk by traditional Native American dress and the plight of the indigenous people as Sargood took the stage. Stage makeup and costuming were strong in Sargood’s representation of the pride and the suffering of the people of the land. Although not in accordance with their theme, a rendition of Harry Potter for their musical item excited the crowd.
Clark House concluded the evening as their portrayal of South America featured an array of colour and energy. Their outfit included a hand-painted bodice and reflected the hours of work that went into the detail of the skirt. A chilli chocolate meant their representation packed a different kind of punch.
With full house points on the line for the first time in the event’s history, the stakes were higher than ever on the results from the show. With just a few points separating each house, they were as follows:
1st: Sargood House
2nd: Clark House
3rd: Williams House
4th: School House
5th equal: Hall and Hamilton House
7th: Fitchett House
