I decided to go down to a couple of their events to try them out, as someone who has minimal knowledge of fashion beyond what's trending on TikTok and who rolls up to uni in their sweats most days. As nervous as I was, everyone was lovely and made me feel very welcome. I began with one of their sewing sessions, run weekly by the committee. And, well, I didn't break or accidentally jab anything and that's all I was really hoping for. Seriously though, it was great. I learnt how to properly thread a sewing machine, tricky and fiddly as it is. I made a funky little tote bag that I'll be carrying around with me for the foreseeable - just for the bragging rights. Anyone asks me where it's from? - "oh I made it".
NUFS runs a variety of events, catering to all degrees of interest in fashion, from those who just like to look stylish to those who want to create their own garments
While sewing was fun, I also wanted to try out one of their socials, because, well, it's hard to converse when you're focusing on stitching that line dead straight. I decided to go with them down to NQ64, the arcade bar. Being the fashion soc, obviously there was a dress code, here it was 'retro' to match the 90s vibes that the arcade exuded. The natural choice was my black flares. I paired these with a bright red Mario top I bought a while back, and a matching headband to accentuate the preppy y2k look.
It was a lot of fun, while less specific to the fashion side of things, it was a lovely way to unwind by trying my hand at the old machines, from Street Fighter to Guitar Hero, and to embarrass myself to Cotton Eye Joe on Dance Dance Revolution. Everyone around me was lovely and it was interesting to see all the different member's interpretation of the theme, as well as how each person adapted it to their own style and item preferences.
I got to speaking with some of the committee members, to ask what their aims were with the fashion society. Welfare officer, Maisie Moss, told me that her goal was "to provide a smiley friendly face for people in fashion soc, and put on events that are out of this world!".
So there you have it, an insight into the most stylish group on campus. I would wholeheartedly recommend getting yourself a membership as the society accommodates for all levels of enthusiasm in the subject, enabling you to take your passion that one step further by giving you a platform to branch out, whether that’s in creation or photography, modelling or even just socialising in a friendly and welcoming community.