By Sabine Pierce Jones & Hannah Durham Arnold, Year 9
Last Friday evening the annual talent show took place. However, this year the talent show was combined with the fashion show. So 15 students participated in the talent show along with 3 groups of fashion designers and models who performed in the fashion show. The evening was hosted by two year 12 students. There was a 50 chf prize for first place and 20 chf for second. The audience voted for their favorite performers. In the end it came down to Coulter Johnston, Michael Johnston and Niccolo Aylward with their surprise 1990s rap featuring a teacher from school in first place. In second place, the acclaimed Jedi Guy with his thrilling lightsaber act.
At the end of the night designers displayed and explained their work on stage. The models walked on the stage and through the audience, giving everyone a good look at the designers’ creations.
Before the show, we managed to go backstage and interview some of the participants. Overall, people said they participated in the talent show for the experience of it, making new friends, sharing their talent and having a fun time. On the other hand, those who participated in the fashion show said that it was a release of stress, even a pick me up and an escape, and that they enjoyed it overall and they live for fashion. Even though the designers were very content with their work but some wished that they had had a little more time to work on it. Here’s what some of the participants had to say:
Talent show participants:
1)What are you going to perform and why?
“ I’m doing a lightsaber performance. I’ve always loved Star wars and I’ve been doing this since I was seven, it’s my favourite activity”- The Jedi Guy
“ Singing Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones because it’s such a cool song” -Mik
“Call Out My Name by the Weeknd, because singing makes people happy and happy people make me happy » – Eva
2) What made you want to join the talent show?
“It’s a really fun experience and I just love performing” – Chloé Sautereau
“‘Cause I think we (Cameron, Niccolo, Mik, Daphne, Zac) are gonna win” – Reza
“I just thought it would be a fun experience and a nice way to express myself… things like that, I’ve always enjoyed it” – Hannie
3) What helps you cope with stage fright?
“Yes usually, but as soon as I actually get on stage and sing it all goes away” – Gabi Cohen
“ Yeah I do, I like to imagine myself in a metaphorical bubble, not to ignore the audience but so that I can pretend like I’m singing for myself” – Eva
“Just being prepared helps” – Reza
4) Would you like to pursue a career in singing or is it just a hobby of yours?
“Yes, I would like to pursue a career in this” – Mik
“It’s a dream of mine” – Chloé
“No it’s just a hobby” – Reza
5) What advice would you give to someone that might want to join the talent show?
“Just do it” – Mik
“Try to be unique, do something original” – Zac
“Be prepared” – Reza
“Don’t be shy, trying won’t hurt” – Eva
“Go in there, audition, enjoy it. If you make it in you’re there for a reason so be proud of that. If you don’t, that’s ok too. Use that to work harder and get better. It’s an amazing oppurtunity” – Hannie
Fashion show participants:
1)What inspired you to do this work?
« Milan fashion week (Luka Sabbat), we both love fashion and designing and decided we wanted to go on this adventure together. » – Emergency Room (designers Eli Rimer and Aurely Weber)
« I wanted to create pieces of clothing that you could use and wear everyday but still be fashionable and stylish. » – Anna Yakubanets
“I love sewing and I’m inspired by the fabrics I use. But really I was inspired to do the fashion show because I’ve been making clothes for years and I finally had an opportunity to have official proof that I sew. I didn’t necessarily love having to do it in the form of a fashion show, but I wanted to have the possibility to write it on my CV “designed and sewed for a fashion show”. It may sound disappointing or even degrading, but it’s the truth. I ended up really having a blast, and my models embodied the outfits so perfectly, and this would have been nothing without them. My expectations of the event were augmented and I would jump at an opportunity to do something like this again.”- Anna Takala
2) What did you use to create your work?
“We mostly used spray paint and thrifted clothes.” – Emergency Room
“I wanted to use mainly denim but I also used acrylic paint and other fabrics to bring together the whole look together.” – Anna Yakubanets
“To create my pieces, I use a range of materials. The most obvious is the fabric. I go to a store, find something that speaks to me, usually buy a couple of meters worth of the fabric and once I get home, create patterns out of a thin paper-like material. I use a special pair of scissors to cut the fabric and switch between two machines for different purposes. The first is a regular sewing machine that makes a thin straight stitch and the second cuts the fabric in order to make perfect seams (I must say this one is incredibly satisfying to use, since the result is so flawless).” – Anna Takala
3) What does your work represent to you/why did you use these fabrics?
“The song summer by Brock Hampton and fast times at LGB.” – Emergency Room
“I’ve never worked with denim before and I wanted to try something unique.” – Anna Yakubanets
“My work is inspired by the fabrics I find. Usually in the fabric store I can spend hours searching and only find one fabric that “speaks to me.” They usually have a pattern to them, like all of my pieces did in the show. I feel as if each fabric has a life, but only some of them call out to me. It sometimes even ends up being something that I would normally dislike, like the outfit with yellow shorts? Let’s just say I really dislike yellow. And my Picasso styled dress? I actually am not even a fan of Picasso’s work. I feel a connection with the fabric and that’s what inspires my work. I have never actually been trained to sew so I have invented my own weird ways to do so and is in a way what my work represents. My clothes look normal on the outside but are actually don’t in a totally different way than other garments. I also think that represents people because we all seem superficially to be quite similar, but the moment you dig deeper things start to change. My change just happens to be a little crazy and on one far side of the spectrum. Externally, I still achieved a look of a regular dress with a cinched waist; it just has a twist.”- Anna Takala
Overall the night was a great success as everyone loved the entertainment, from singing to lightsabers and from theatre to spray paint. Each performer and designer created something worth sharing.
