ISSUE 1 2012

I N S I D E I S S U E O N EDirector’s Letter Pg. 3-4

ROLL CALL_ The Sitara* team Pg. 5

NEW FACES_ Meet the models Pg. 7

Letter from the Creative Director Pg. 9

SHOOT 1_ Introducing the models Pg. 11

CHARITY_ Ashraya Initiative for Children Pg. 21

BEHIND THE SCENES_ Model Behaviour Pg. 23

DESIGNER PROFILE_ Hana Tajima Pg. 27

SHOOT 2_ Child’s Play Pg. 29

STREET STYLE_ St. Andrews Pg. 35

GET THE LOOK Pg. 39

MORE MORE MORE_ Finding us & What to look forward to Pg. 41

D I R E C T O R S L E T T E R

Welcome to the first issue of Sitara*2013 webzine!This issue will bring to you much of what we have been working on throughout the semester, with a focus on fashion, as well as the release of the show’s date! You will find all the photo shoots, details on some of our designers, backstage fun and more.

Coming into its 5th year, Sitara* has established itself as a unique cultural event in St Andrews. The past years the show has developed into a multitude of performances, including fashion, theatre, music and

dance. Sitara*, meaning bright star in Hindi, showcases the beauty and elegance of Asian culture, coupled with Western influences. This very energy of Asian fusion presented through fashion and various performing arts, I believe, is what makes Sitara* stand out.

So, what exactly is Sitara*?

It may be described as a performance, a fashion show, a play. There are models and a catwalk. There are actors and a storyline. There are musicians and dancers. There is a DJ too. Our aim is to join a storyline – revealed only on the day of the show – with the concept of a fashion

show. That is, models will be showcasing a variety of fashion and more, within the context of a theatrical story presented by actors and dancers. Together a coherent whole is created in the spirit and energy of Asian fusion. The audience is plunged into an array of visual and emotional experiences, surrounded by an assorted mix of music. It will be stunning and vibrant, it will be mystical and fantastic, and it will be fun!

This year, the show is going to be held in Younger Hall – a building integral to this small Scottish town, and ideal for our Asian fusion extravaganza. It is important for us to relate Sitara* to St Andrews and the university. Not only is it an entirely student-run show, but it is also part of the Sanskriti Society, the university’s South Asian society. With this link, Sitara* is a truly St Andrews production.

My personal journey through Sitara* attests to the diversity and warmth of the show. In my first year, still quite unaware of most social events in St Andrews, it was my academic Dad who suggested Sitara* to me. Soon enough I became part of the show and was overwhelmed and thrilled by the on-stage experience. The following year, I had the chance to be on the committee and got an insider’s perspective of what goes on backstage.

There is a lot of preparation and planning to be done, but the end result makes it ever more rewarding. Finally, in my third year, I am honoured to be the Director of Sitara*, in other words, coordinating, heading and drawing together all the creative minds and ideas of this year’s fantastic committee (see page right!) to jointly produce an amazing Sitara*2013!

Now, flip the page and enjoy our very first issue!

Lots of Sitara* love,Martina Jefcoat

Ruoyang ZhangCREATIvE DIRECTOR

Maya FarrCHOREOGRAPHER

vishnu PhadkeASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Peter von ZahndACTING DIRECTOR

Zahra HajiHEAD OF FRONT OF HOuSE

victoria Chloe AlbrechDIRECTOR OF vENuE & LOGISTICS

Micheal CurrieTREASuRER

Heleyna PatelMARKETING DIRECTOR

Lucy GodshallHEAD OF SPONSORSHIP

R O L L C A L LMeet the team behind Sitara*...

T H E

S H O W6 . 4 . 1 3

M i c H a E l

B é r E n g è r E

a l i Ta M a r a

c a S S i

a i y S H a

a l i S a

S T E p H a n i E

c a r O l i n E

N E WFACEST H E S I TA R A *

M O D E L S

N E WFACEST H E S I TA R A *

M O D E L S

a a l i ya

M i ya

E M M a

a d E TO l aa z a M

j a M E S

l u k E

g i S E l l E

a l a nl E r a

B r a n d O n

“Memory is a very strange thing, it tells you wonderful lies. I prefer my memories to photographs, because I prefer however inaccurate my memory is, I prefer that memory than that which comes by the tedious reality of a photograph.”--- John Hurt

There are lots of ways of explaining fashion, however when it comes to putting together a show like Sitara, I would like to say, it is purely a fantasy, an instrument for

us to put together a show that lies between reality and fiction. Reality is what happened, the facts; how we remember history is subjective to our own experience and emotions, it is a way of rewriting the reality into what exists in our minds, hence partial fiction.

This is how I view Sitara* 2013’s creative theme. A fantasy. A partial fiction, removed from the tedious reality of life.

Through the first photo shoot, ‘introducing the models’, we wanted to showcase our models to the public. I had initially wanted to name thisshoot ‘vita’, the Latin for ‘life’. The initial creative vision was to put ourmodels in defined spaces and create an illusion within which souls were caged, similar to an exhibition or zoo. The aim being to draw from the past experiences of the viewer and introduce a collaboration of ideas, which would not appear normal, were they to have happened simultaneously.

LETTER FROM THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

RUOyANg ZHANg

Sadly the idea didn’t materialize entirely, due to a variety of reasons, however, I couldn’t have been happier with the final outcome. It was simplistic, sleek and united yet full of individuality. This is what I want this year’s Sitata* to be like in its entirety. The creative team and photographer (Celeste Sloman) had only a few instruments to create the visuals for the shoot: the white box, a piece of white cloth and nude make up. The final concept of the shoot came out just as neat as how everyone envisioned. We aimed to emphasise the natural beauty of our models, therefore all our photos were un-air-brushed and we only used simple geometric props.

The second photo shoot “Child’s Play” sees the comeback of the colourfulness of Sitara. The collection is designed by the extremely talented Hera Wan, who graduated from the world renowned London College of Fashion. The focus of the shoot is the pattern and colour of the collection, by collaborating with the environment and props, we hope to create a dynamic relationship between the clothes and the set. The make-up was done to give the models a more “boyish” look and we hope to create somewhat a fantasy with dramatically big toys (and boxes) and bright colours that we all once loved when we were young.

We have a few more designers behind Sitara* 2013, of whom there styles and designs differ greatly, yet we aim to showcase their work together in a dramatic line of presentation to create a show that has a special spirit. The fashion and the acting will be coordinated to ensure the show flows in one piece and most important of all, everything comes with some Asian spice.

Ruoyang ZhangCREATIvE DIRECTOR

I N T R O D U C I N g T H EM O D E L SPhotographer

Celeste Sloman

Despite our philosophy of displaying the beauty of Asian fashion and performance, SITARA* has one other important philosophy: philanthropy. Every year our proceeds from the show go to the Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC), a charity which provides a home for street kids and supports various community outreach projects in Pune, India. It is dedicated to improving the lives and shaping the futures of vulnerable children by advancing educational opportunities, nurturing holistic development and building healthy, empowered communities.

C H A R I T y

They currently operate four main programs: the  Residential Program, which provides housing for twelve children; the Education Outreach Program, supporting the education of more than 200 kids in the slums, the  Health Outreach Program, promoting the importance of improving health in the slums through education, healthcare and community mobilization; and the  Community Outreach Program, which focuses on community building and development through legal advocacy workshops, adult literacy classes, vocational training and micro-credit savings groups.

Most importantly, however, this charity is about the amazing children  which they work with. In order to make a living, street children in India take up a broad range of occupations, including begging, rag picking, sex work, theft or petty crime, shoe shining, “coolie” work (luggage hauler), sweatshop work, mechanic work, and flower, snack, or trinket selling. Since they depend on the money they earn themselves, they rarely have the time or resources to go to school and obtain an education. The fact that they grow up illiterate inhibits their chances of finding adequately paid employment as adults and results in a vicious cycle that forces them to spend the rest of their lives on the streets. The AIC gives them the opportunity to spend their childhood as kids, and gives them the chance to get the education which we would take for granted. SITARA* is proud to be supporting the AIC, and by attending in April, you too can contribute to such a remarkable charity.

Photos courtesy of http://www.ashrayainitiative.org

M O D E L B E H A V I O U RBehind the scenes

particular performance specialities – to name but a few. We have modelswho are foremost dancers or actors, and Sitara* is unique in its focus on performance rather than just fashion.

Preparations for Sitara*2013 started earlier than ever before this year – and model selection and choreography was no exception. The amazing quality of people we had auditioning for modelling this year really blew me away. Not only did many beautiful faces turn up, but more than that there was a such a variety of people – and I believe this is really well represented in our final 20 models. Diversity is the word that really sums up our models this year, and is integral to the heart and ethos of Sitara*.This diversity presents itself in many ways – ethnicity, physical appearance and

M a y a F a r rC H O R E O G R A P H E R

underlying theme and storyline of the show. From a choreographer’s point of view it was initially daunting, as every step and movement has to be meticulously timed for it to look cohesive and neat on such a complex stage. The rehearsals have been the perfect mix of hard work and a good laugh, with all the models starting to feel an integral part of the Sitara* community we work so hard to establish.

Rehearsals have got off to a brilliant start. We meet twice a week and as rehearsals are wrapping up for this first semester, I am amazed by the amount we’ve accomplished so far, and so pleased/relieved that it’s all starting to really come together and look like a show! This year we chose quite an intricate and asymmetrical stage design, which lends itself wonderfully to the

D E S I g N E RP R O F I L E

H A N A T A J I M A

1) Hana, tell us a bit about how you

got into the world of fashion?

I grew up in a very creative environment, the process of making clothes was just another way to express myself.

T H E I N T E R V I E W

2) What are your major sources for inspiration

when designing?

I think it’s less about finding inspiration than it is about being open to its finding you in all aspects of your life. For me, non-visual starting points create the most interesting designs.

3) What is your creative process when designing a collection?

It always starts with a feeling, and trying to discover different ways of making clothes that connect the feeling to the person wearing it. It takes a long time of a design chasing me for me to finally put it onto paper. It has to be something that keeps you up at night.

4) What has been the most exciting moment

of your career in fashion?

So many isolated studio days make it easy to forget that there’s this other path your career is carving out. A great article is definitely something you think ‘this is for keeps’, and I’ve been really lucky to have had profile pieces internationally with ELLE Italia and Canada, and interviews with vOGuE uK.

5) How do you feel about being involved

with Sitara* this year?

The Sitara* show is such a great event. Fashion should be this overwhelmingly exciting and engaging event, and that’s how the Sitara* team are approaching this. I love the diversity of models (other shows should take note). And the close support of a wonderful charity is something so inspiring.

Photographs courtesy of HANA TAJIMA

C H I L D ’ S P L A Y

Designer: Hera WanPhotographer: Ruoyang Zhang

S T R E E TS T y L E

St. Andrews

We’ve been out and about to find those of you who dare to ditch the barbour-hunter style of St. Andrews, thank you for bringing some colour back into our lives!

Daring Elegance – who said you can’t mix fur with neon!

B y D A y

Texture and Pattern

Boho Chic

We love luxuriously textured pieces. Scottish actress Karen Gillan was spotted near her north London home in this fantastic autumn outfit – she’s clearly been stalking the best of St. Andrews style!

B y N I g H T

B y N I g H T

ASOS Vintage Denim Hotpants with Embroidered Tribal Design£30.00

g E T T H EL O O K

ASOS Gold Jaquard Short£35.00

M O R E M O R E M O R E

6 . 4 . 1 3

w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /S i t a r a F a s h i o n

w w w. t w i t t e r . c o m /S i t a r a F a s h i o n

T H E S H O W

M o r e b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s i n I s s u e Tw o

P h o t o s h o o t s w i t h o u r b o y s a n d g i r l s .

w w w. s i t a r a 2 0 1 3 . c o . u k

M O R E M O R E M O R E