The Comeback of the Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show to St Andrews

Credit: Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show

St Andrews is known for being the home to many fashion shows, contributing to the unique university experience it offers. From FS to Don’t Walk, the options to snag a ticket and see fellow students strut down the runway are plentiful. However, a new fashion show is resurfacing this year after a three-year hiatus, offering a fresh take on the typical fashion show experience. Welcome back to St Andrews, the Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show, which is set to take place spring of 2026. 

Ubuntu originally started in 2017 as a subcommittee of the St Andrews African Caribbean Society (ACS) and ran its annual fashion show until 2022. However, the production of the show was difficult to maintain due to a variety of issues. 

Daka Zvekare, the Executive Director of Ubuntu, discussed the difficulties of keeping the show afloat, as well as the process of starting up again this year: “I’ve been on the ACS committee since second year, and the discussion had been that we don’t want to do something if it’s going to be really stressful and there’s not enough people to do it and manage it. But the ACS president, Nicole, really wanted it to happen again. It’s been interesting because all of the committee is new, so we’re all just coming into this fresh, but it’s really exciting and fun.”

The proceeds from the show will be going to an Edinburgh based NGO called DataKirk, whose mission is to provide digital literacy and analytics skills to underrepresented communities as a means of closing the data divide and attainment gap. This mission is completed through tailored support, resources, and training to minorities. 

Zvekare commented: “To get a job nowadays, you need to be able to use Microsoft and a computer, and that’s something that some people take for granted, such as having access to these technologies from a young age. I love that the work they do is with kids, which is why we were quite passionate about having this as a charity because they’re helping the next generation.” 

While the title of the show, Ubuntu, was selected in 2017 when it was originally founded, the name has deep symbolic meaning and has played an indispensable role in inspiring the vision for the production. 

“Ubuntu is hard to translate into English, and it’s hard to capture what it means. It’s about understanding your responsibility to other people, and their responsibility to you, as well as to the planet, your community, and things that enable you to thrive,” commented Zvekare.

“It is very much so about connection, and I think in African culture that’s a really big thing, so it’s very fitting for the fashion show. The heart of African culture is Ubuntu.” 

Credit: The Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show

Being that the St Andrews fashion show scene can appear competitive at times, Ubuntu’s mission is very distinct from other St Andrews fashion shows. While clothing is at the forefront, with Ubuntu specifically being dedicated to African and Caribbean fashion, it is simply a vehicle to achieve the larger objective of the show.

Zvekare commented: “It will be an immersive experience. We’ll be telling our theme through fashion, ultimately, but also through different forms of storytelling. The main thing that sets us apart is a focus on the stories that we’re trying to tell; we really want to celebrate our culture.” 

Amara Baker-Onyancha, Creative Director, explained how a main goal of the show is to foster an inclusive environment: “I think what sets us apart is engagement, not just with students, but with the wider African-Carribean diaspora in Scotland, which I think is really important. It’s more of an experience, and everything is very intentional. The fashion we have, the music we have, the story, the philosophy behind it, it’s very deeply thought about. Our aim is to indirectly teach people.” 

Unlike other St Andrews fashion shows, Ubuntu will not just be oriented towards students at St Andrews and will engage with the larger African and Caribbean community in the UK. 

“We’re going to be doing outreach to Scottish African and Caribbean societies and people. In the UK generally, there isn’t a space for African culture in this format with this level of creativity and freedom,” commented Amara Baker-Onyanch. “We’re the ones that are creating this experience, and we can make it whatever we want it to be. We want to engage the wider community and different generations.”

Zvekare stated: “We are all connected, we all rely on each other, we all have responsibility to each other, and I think that inviting other people outside of the St Andrews community can make that happen.” 

Technical components will also set Ubuntu apart from its counterparts. The show will be held in a non-traditional setting, incorporate carefully selected music and spoken word poetry, and rely on the analogy of the life-cycle of a plant. 

“Nature in many senses is a metaphor for African and Caribbean cultures. The roots are about respecting ancestors and elders. The growth is about growing together and community. Then bloom is about flourishing,” commented Baker-Onyancha. 

The clothes themselves will be sourced from a variety of prominent African and Caribbean designers that engage in sustainable and ethical practices. Ubuntu also plans on working with students at the ACS branch of The University of the Arts London to incorporate student designers into the show. 

Ultimately, the goal of Ubuntu is to provide an inclusive space to tell stories that celebrate African and Caribbean culture. 

Baker-Onyancha commented: “Africans are often being portrayed by other people rather than Africans themselves. It’s framed in the context of perceptions of us, rather than us ourselves, so I think we want to tell our story not in relation to others and other cultures. It’s for us, we just want it to be meaningful for our community.” 

Look out for more information on upcoming events on the Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show instagram, including the upcoming launch party in late November. 

Credit: Ubuntu Charity Fashion Show