Leeds RAG Fashion Show Launches GAIA: A Celebration of Nature and Creativity
Amba Tilney takes the readers of The Gryphon behind the scenes at one of the most anticipated student events in Leeds: the Leeds RAG Fashion Show Launch Party.
It’s been widely debated as of late whether Leeds is secretly one of the UK’s most underrated fashion epicentres and the Leeds Rag Fashion Show 2026 Launch Party may have just settled the matter. When the invitation arrived in my inbox, I felt a fizz of anticipation. Still, nothing could have prepared me for what unfolded inside Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen on the 2nd of December 2025.
Earlier that afternoon, Mia McDermott (Chief Executive Director) and Maria Currie (Deputy Executive Director), slipped out of the pre-party final frenzy and into the studio to join me live on The Girls Got Guts. They arrived with the poised intensity of two young women in full creative momentum, the kind of energy that lingers in a room like a signature perfume. I had spent the previous day scouring the @leedsragfashionshow Instagram, trying to decipher the theme and craft promotional visuals ahead of their anticipated appearance. The expertly curated imagery pushed me instinctively towards mossy green pigments and earthy gradients, stitched with glints of embellishments like spores catching light.
Our conversation unfurled as a constellation of hints, secrets stitched carefully between words, with heartfelt insights into their creative process which began back in May 2025. As Sade’s Kiss of Life melted into the airwaves, we drifted into the roots of their individual lifelong love of fashion which stemmed from styling, illustration, and world-building; now broadening into more niche yet chic passions such as bookbinding. I finally asked the question I’d been orbiting: did my earthy-toned visual promo and music choices mean I was getting warmer or colder? “You’re on the right lines” they said with a knowing glimmer. Whatever the night held, it promised to bloom.
As the sun’s ochre glow surrendered to the velvet winter night, and tights became a necessity, I got dressed for the evening: a grey mesh floral beaded top, a green gingham wrap midi-skirt, brown tights, boat shoes, silver jewellery. An outfit that could be utterly on-theme or spectacularly rogue. But fashion in its most primal form, is the act of leaning into the thrill of self-expression. And for once, as someone chronically overdressed from everything from lectures to the corner shop, this was a night where more was more.
Inside Belgrave, warmth flooded first, like soft sun-on-skin, the kind that makes you nostalgic for August. Sequins, faux fur, asymmetrical hem, silks, lace, ethereal headpieces, and sculptural silhouettes crowded the bar. As I threaded myself through the crowd like a needle through cloth, the sweet haze of incense billowed down the staircase. A queue snaking around walls plastered with editorial stills from the teaser trailer premiering at 10pm. After collecting wristbands, my friend and I were met by familiar faces – of Jess Cooper (Operations Manager) and Camila Peredes (PR Manager) – offering to guide us to key voices and moments. The RAG team’s creative camaraderie glowed like a hearth. Here, there was space for everyone (if you had a ticket, tis the nature of sold-out events!).
Entering the main room felt like stepping into another sensory realm. Incense wrapped itself around us in a soft, smoky veil as Romy Taylor’s transcendent cover of Addison Rae’s ‘Fame is Gun’ rippled through the air. Later, as we queued for the mandatory 11pm pizza slice, Romy told me it “just felt apt for the evening”. Apt was an understatement. The crowd swayed back and forth, united effortlessly like a collective heartbeat. The unspoken dress code was delivered on and exceeded; dress as you feel inside. The room felt like it was levitating with such a display of individual break-taking beauty.
Everywhere, the team’s dedication pulsed visibly. It was evidently clear that they had poured their soul into every aspect of the launch. “It is so exciting to reveal the theme,” Maria told me earlier. “We hope everyone will love it and nurture it as much as us.” And nurture it they did. Belgrave had been transformed into a living ecosystem: installations merging nature with technology; moss-covered keyboards; a dining table that looked as though it materialised in a forgotten forest clearing, tethered to only by a lone rotary telephone. Every corner whispered of cyclical rhythm.
The back room bathed in an eternal amber-red glow, echoing a sunset trapped in time. The source of the incense originated here, spiralling like ivy. Embellished boho-chic tablecloths spilled over table edges; sunken leather sofas and luminous glass lamps cast a sultry shimmer over beaded textures reminiscent of an underground if-you-know-you-know speakeasy. The atmosphere hummed with wanderlust, built by people who can materialise their dreams.
Throughout the night, raffle tickets were being sold in aid of RAG’s three charities of choice – Behind Closed Doors, MAP, and British Red Cross – each one a lifeline in a world that often forgets its own fragility, providing support for communities and individuals who need it most. Prizes included a PerfectTed Matcha Bundle Goody Bag, Hyde Park Picture House Membership, 2x tickets for the next Cosmic Slop event and more. There was a constant buzz of joyous laughter and solidarity amongst the fabulously dressed crowd that just exuded community.
As I sauntered between each room and the rooftop (also reserved for RAG, the height of luxury), conversations drifted toward the theme: nature, cycles, living worlds, mother nature. Minutes before the reveal, Nia Southworth’s (Creative Director) gem-bright smile illuminated her message. “The overall concept of the show is the most important thing that we all should be thinking about,” she says. “It’s a very important cultural and social concept something to take into little aspects of your life.’
At 10pm, an eruption of cheers and applause. The executive team – Mia, Maria, Nia and Dylan Webb (Head of Production and Logistics) stepped into the light. “RAG is a creative hub,” Mia said, voice ringing with purpose. “Our mission this year is two-fold: to celebrate individuality and creativity through fashion while making a meaningful impact on society.”
Then the film began. 5 minutes of breathlessness. Everyone stood completely captivated, in awe. A symphony of earthly elements; birdsong, heartbeats, a textural delight exploring the nature with artistic elegance. I felt deeply connected to my own heartbeat as the credits began to roll, and the crowd exhaled in unison. The theme: GAIA: An Earthly Soul.
“Gaia is the ancient Greek goddess of life,” Nia explained as the lights rose softly. “The show will explore our innate sense to thrive, bloom and connect, not only with each other but with all forms of life.” February’s runway show will unravel across four parts: Ancestral Whispers, Bodies of Water, Ghost in the Machine and Threads of Life, Gaia’s triumphant reclamation of roots and the wild poetry of our planet.
And in that moment, Belgrave was still humming, incense still drifting, silver still glinting on stylish strangers’ wrists. Leeds was alive, on the verge of something tectonic.
A collective inhale before the bloom.
GAIA had spoken and we were all listening eagerly.
Tickets for Leeds RAG Fashion Show 2026 are available now.
Words by Amba Tilney.