Hatfield Fashion Show was absolute goals

The college Durham loves to hate took DUCFS for a run for their money.

From the off the audience were wowed by the safely named, “Zodiac” fashion show. Formerly Tab proclaimed “Helena of Hatfield” stole the breath from a room of suited and booted Hatfielders as she stood at the start of the catwalk signalling the beginning of the show.

What followed was the swimwear walk, and my god did you need a dip in the pool to cool off after. Swimwear by Novel Swim and Boardies was as eccentric and vibrant as every fashion show should be. Bold colours and bolder patterns were set off by Hatfield’s hottest bods.

As the audience recovered from the swimwear walk, the night’s comperes Toby Bradshaw and Alex Keating took to the stage, but not before they showed a surprisingly funny introductory video.

Fashion show comperes are renowned for terrible chat, and the Hatfield duo didn’t fail to deliver. Fortunately, they were actually entertaining. As self-depreciating as they were scathing, they probably got away with bringing up some unmentionables.

Ever the avid fans of The Tab, they look inspiration from our “Meet the Models” feature, “A guide to Durham slang”, and just couldn’t stop talking about us.

Back to business, women’s casualwear by Nobody’s Child was smart and chic. Tartan prints, hot red dresses and killer heels meant Hatfield’s girls were strutting onto the catwalk in style, and oozing with confidence.

Mixed sportswear by Bear Strength and BoomBoom Athletica took us to DU Troupe’s first dance, and as always they didn’t disappoint. Dancing with enough energy and intensity to exhaust the audience, the fashion show favourites for entertainment gave a stellar performance, even if they did need some new tights.

Always compassionate, the fashion show organisers put something in for the college staff. The Crew Men’s walk looked a little bit like the “new father’s walk,” or as if they were just about to meet their girlfriend’s parents.

Hatfield’s best husband material strutted their stuff in “regular fit” chinos, and what your mum would describe as a “nice” shirt, but to be fair to them did so with the utmost confidence. Rumour has it, backstage they were calling it the DILF look.

It’s said every good performance will have a bit of everything. Hatfield’s fashion show definitely nailed the stunned silence vibe. Rebekka Fitch’s rendition of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” would make Jay-Z himself question if he made the right decision. And the stunning doesn’t stop there, accompanying Fitch’s performance was the ladies’ formal wear.

Abbie Moujaes stole every gent’s heart, and made every girl jealous as she swanned down the catwalk in a stunning deep red and shimmering gold long dress, and a pair of statement platform heels.

With two formals a week Hatfielders spend more time than not in black tie, and it shows. The gents looked effortlessly cool in their Beaufort and Blake formalwear. The staple crisp white shirt with pattern sleeves and backs are a go to for the guy who wants to look good at dinner, but get messy on the dance floor.

Women’s casualwear by Jade Clark gave the lads time to change for the next walk…or at least strip off. The men’s underwear walk had the girls raving and the guys feeling guilty about the three donuts they’d wolfed.

The freshly contoured lads had clearly been preparing for the night, and they were more than willing to show off what they had earnt. It’s safe to say a lot of them wouldn’t have struggled in Fabio’s at the after party.

A short auction gave the audience the opportunity to cool off. Although, unfortunately, a slightly more sober audience, and the banning of alumni who normally a bit of cash in their pockets, meant not as much money was raised for charity in the auction.

The last two walks were as impressive and exciting as the rest of the show. Mixed denim by Mish Mash and Never Go Naked hit the vintage look bang on, while Tees by The T-shirt store, golden bear belts, and London rebel shoes completed the look. Some particularly impressive pieces were a pair of feather-decorated denim shorts by Hatfield’s very own Meg Edmond.

Of course, the grand finale was the highly anticipated Women’s underwear walk. High heels and elegant underwear were as impressive as you might expect from Hatfield. A round of applause has to go to the girls who absolutely rocked the walk with confidence, and enough sass to last a lifetime.

As if to top it all off, Ore Ogunlana, who had previously wowed the audience with some incredible dance moves, picked up the mic and dropped some absolute fire.

Show photos were taken by Mike Dennison Media. Backstage photos were taken by Sophie Ogunyemi: