Oxford University guild to honour survivors in Serenity Project Fashion Show

The Oxford Guild Society, the largest university society at the University of Oxford, UK, has announced it will host its annual ‘survivors’ fashion show’ on Friday, February 24 via the university’s Serenity Project initiative.

With the event, it aims to highlight people who identify as ‘survivors’ of traumatic events and hardships, as per a press release shared by The Serenity Project.

The Serenity Project, founded in 2017 by Oxford Ph.D. student Serene Singh, is a suicide prevention initiative that has as its main goal uplifting survivors and celebrating the resilience of people who have endured various hardships in their lives.

Eight fashion designers from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds were selected to present their creations in the project’s annual fashion show.

Each of the designers is “connected to the cause of survivorship in different ways,” the press release reads.

The creatives selected to present their designs in the show are Noemie Jouas, Farida Rashid, Chloe Romanos, Jill Setah, Yingtong Cheung, Antonia Thompson.

In addition, two student fashion designers from the University of Oxford will showcase their looks on the runway.

Oxford Guild Society to host survivors’ fashion show

The fashion show will be the subject of an independent feature film and over 70 stakeholders were involved directly in the event, which include models, designers, performers, hair and make-up artists, stage staff, volunteers, and sponsors.

“It is time to transform how our catwalks traditionally look. As a disabled woman, the message of The Serenity Project is so important to me as someone who was always taught that my body was not good enough,” Carys Hoggan, the organiser of the event and director of fashion shows at The Serenity Project explained in a statement.

Organisations like The Serenity Project allow us to re-imagine beauty and celebrate our power and shared battles toward strength as a community,” she said.

Emma Metcalf, one of the models participating in the show and a student at Oxford Brookes University, added, “The event allowed me to find my voice. It made me realise how powerful and strong I am."

“As someone who has been through a suicide attempt and is now in a wheelchair, I gained so much confidence within myself and so much love,” she continued.

“I am so proud to have been a part of it and to have advocated for this cause that I believe in: you do not have to be in the dark, your resilience makes you beautiful. This event showed me that I do not need to be scared anymore of the battles I have faced.”

Noemie Jouas, one of the designers featured in the show, said in a statement: “It’s such an honour to have been involved in this show for many reasons but especially because the entire event focused on an issue that is never talked about - especially in the fashion industry.”

The Serenity Project annual Survivors’ Fashion Show will take place at the Museum of Natural History in Oxford, UK on February 24, 2023.

Editor's Note: This article as been adjusted after publication. The initial article mentioned that the press release was send out by The Oxford Guild Society. Correct is: The press release was sent out by The Serenity Project.