A night at Runway Idol

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Runway Idol event at Hillsborough Stadium.

The evening was held to raise money and awareness for many issues, most notably the SEPSIS cause and Sheffield Mind. With talks from Sepsis survivor Mike Mahoney, and mental health advocate Tom Dickinson, the show perfectly encapsulated the balance between entertainment and education.

In fact, presenter Becky Measures from BBC Radio 1 noted the show was the 'most diverse yet', featuring models of different ages, ethnicities and sizes. Surprisingly, each catwalk saw people who were not the typical expectation of a model, but in fact, just normal individuals who had auditioned in the hopes of showcasing their personal stories.

Becky Measures said the sold-out show was 'a chance to overcome insecurities', whilst also raising money for charities that may have lost funding over lockdown.

Organiser James Clarke held a smooth show which included not only 10 runway themes, but plenty of entertainment in the form of singers, vocal groups, and dance groups.

The first runway theme was based on summer, sponsored by In The Style and the Couture Club. It was clear just how inclusive the show was going to be from when the first round of models took to the catwalk. It was refreshing to see models of all body types rather than the 'perfect' industry bred models we are so used to comparing ourselves to.

In this day and age, it is important to remind ourselves that having glowing skin or being a size zero is not attainable or what we should aspire to look like – we are all beautiful the way we are.

The third runway theme was easily the most impactful and memorable, bringing myself and much of the audience to tears. It was named the ‘This is Me runway’, where all models were asked to dress in a way which expressed themselves and their stories. Each model's outfit was accompanied by a presentation slide explaining the significance – with one model showing off her journey of beating breast cancer. There were models paying tribute to family members, showcasing their achievements, and sharing their journeys through illnesses. One model, Vince, entered the runway wearing his army uniform – he was also part of the Soldiers of Swing group, which made it to the finals of Britain's Got talent.

Presenter Becky measures said: “The runway is a plethora of just amazing, inspiring people.”

Between runways, Mike Mahoney, volunteer of the Sepsis Trust and survivor, spoke about his life-changing experience and brought attention to how easy intervention through awareness can save thousands of people. Every three seconds someone dies of Sepsis and one in five deaths across the UK are accounted for by it.

Other themes included a ‘Love and Romance walk’, where models showed off bridal wear from Nora Eve Bridal, and a theme promoting Oddballs charity, who raise money for testicular cancer.

As the show progressed, the runways remained as striking as the first. Towards the end, all the models came onto the stage wearing t-shirts reading quotes, such as ‘it's ok not to be ok’, to promote mental health awareness. Seeing a community of people all getting behind such an important message was moving, and sensitively encouraged those watching to speak up when things are not okay.

At the end, a new segment premiered in this year's event. Throughout, three industry experts sat in and acted as judges – looking for one rising model to be crowned the winner and be gifted with the experience of modelling for three major brands. As everyone who participated were amateur models, being crowned was a massive chance to kick start their modelling career. Model Kazim was the lucky winner, and it was heart-warming to see the support from his friends and family.

Overall, the show effectively brought attention to major issues, all while raising money for important causes. In fact, all clothes donated to the show by brands will be re-donated to charity shops.

Massive thank you to James Clarke for organising such a brilliant and touching event, and well done to all the models, dancers, singers and staff involved in the show.

Edited By Miette Dsouza