Renowned designers commit to fashion extravaganza

Dame Barbara Cartland, the East India Company, Swarovski and designer Manish Arora are not usually related in any way but they will be cleverly interlinked during an historical fashion extravaganza at independent school Haileybury in April.

In conjunction with the UK’s leading fashion producer, Lesley Goring, model agency Storm and with the support of renowned international designers, Haileybury pupils will host a lavish catwalk celebration of fashion through the past 20 decades on 23 April.

The event forms part of Haileybury’s celebrations to mark the 200th year of the laying of the Foundation Stone of the school’s buildings. More than 250 pupils will be involved in the show in various roles, including modelling, narrating, producing and organising an Indian bazaar in the School’s Memorial Quad.

Hosted by Hoyt Richards, a former pupil of Haileybury and one of the world’s biggest names in modelling in the 1980s and 1990s, and Hilary Alexander, Fashion Editor at The Telegraph, the event will include hit musical numbers and re-enactments of key dramatic moments in the history of the East India College and Haileybury.

Designers who have confirmed their participation include Manish Arora, Betty Jackson, Amanda Wakeley, Elspeth Gibson, David Sassoon, Ronit Zilkha and Ben de Lisi.

Fashion design students from the Kingston College of Fashion and London College of Fashion will also be showing their collections during the extravaganza.

In addition, a selection of original Barbara Cartland costumes has been loaned to the school for the evening by a family friend.

Some of the 12-strong group of first girls to be admitted to Haileybury in the Sixth Form will also be taking part in the show.

The first half of the show will be unusually and uniquely supported by Haileybury’s award-winning Chamber Choir and the Jazz Band who will perform music that is relevant to the different decades of the past 200 years. The second half will showcase the various fashion styles of the 21st century through collections from the international designers and students. The show will conclude with the dramatic RCA Red Collection created for Swarovski.

There are two performances – one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The evening performance will be followed by an auction raising funds for three charities: SEED Foundation, The Children’s Trust and Changing Faces.

For tickets, please contact the Haileybury Box Office on 01992 706205.