Vogue Charity Fashion Show (VCFS) transformed the Kingston Grand Theatre into a beacon of light.
VCFS, Canada’s largest student run fashion show, with over 170 club , is performing their 28th annual show from March 6 to 8 at the Kingston Grand Theatre. This year’s theme, “Let the Light In,” unfolds across seven acts, each capturing the shift of light from dawn to dusk.
Since its inception in 1997, the show has raised nearly $800,000 for its roster of chosen charities. Each year, the club selects a local charity to receive 100 per cent of the show’s proceeds. This year, the spotlight shines on Kingston’s H’art Centre—a ed non-profit that fosters an inclusive arts community, empowering adults with disabilities to express themselves creatively.
In an interview with The Journal, VCFS Co-Presidents Anneliese Klug Kenkel, Comm’ 25, and Sophia Wang, HealthSci ’25, expressed their excitement about this year’s theme.
“We think it’s [MT1] really unique because there’s a very literal meaning to it that everyone can understand like light changing, different aspects and different like sources of light, but then there’s also this secondary more creative or artistic meaning which is really great,” Klug Kenkel.
Each act begins with a short video of the designer , explaining their design experience and concept for the scene. These short “my life in design” segments allow the audience the opportunity to connect with the creator and invest in each act.
The show started with “A New Dawn,” utilizing gold and white fabrics, emulating the morning sunlight and the new possibilities that come with each day. The slower modelling segment felt like waking up, followed by a high-energy dance number to get the crowd excited about the show.
“The show starts with ‘A New Dawn,’ which is like sunlight and it ends with ‘Until Dusk,’ which is like moonlight, and it explores throughout the day or just different aspects of how light changes and then kind of using that as symbolism for changing in the human experience and human emotions,” Klug Kenkel said.
The second act, “Speed of Light,” is intended to feel like the workday, using reflective fabrics to simulate fluorescent lighting. The fast-paced dance and music performance emulates the same feeling of the day rushing by.
If “Speed of Light” was the workday, “Light on Earth” feels like your lunch break. The third act opened with a beautiful semi-acoustic rendition of Ben Howard’s “Old Pine.” With an equal two singers and two guitars, the song was a refreshing standout. The dancers that followed were outfitted in beautiful gauzy outfits, reminiscent of moss in the forest, and the models wore lighter colours, representing spring flowers.
“Moth to a Flame” embodied desire, not negatively, instead expressing how it feels to chase what you want. Using rich reds and oranges, the scene feels both ionate and rewarding.
The show was punctuated by short dance numbers that felt undeniably fun, bringing up the energy in the room. One of the numbers, “Masculinity,” played with the concept, expressing the various ways to interpret gender.
The show resumed with act five, “In Dark Waters,” a mysterious look at what lies beneath the light. Exploring the theme of light and where it vacates, each scene featured deep blues, purples, and blacks, celebrating the mystery of the ocean.
The second dance number was the famous lingerie scene, which appears yearly in a celebration of body positivity. Wang’s in the number this year, as well as last year.
“The whole epitome of the lingerie scene is literally just body confidence,” Wang said, reflecting on when her mom watched last year. The lingerie scene utilized the spotlight, fitting itself nicely into the theme of light.
The sixth act, “State of Shock,” was a vibrant burst of energy. The act featured bright colours and an electric musical number, including a tap performance. The final act, “Until Dusk,” was one of the show’s highlights. Capturing the feeling of walking around the city at night, the act had a unique streetwear style with the models in mostly grey and purple.
The co-presidents expressed how rewarding it was to spend their time doing something they loved while giving back to the community.
Klug Kenkel reflected on the ion, and drive behind all club .
“Vogue is people that do it because it matters whether that be creatively or just philanthropically, and it’s really inspirational to see people just do things that they enjoy, and maybe they don’t get a direct return out of it, but it creates something and contributes to something that’s bigger than just an individual return—that for me has always made Vogue really, really inspirational.”
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