New stars of the show
The Great Yorkshire Show celebrates the return of its popular catwalk with a fashion shoot at the Harrogate showground. Stephanie Smith went behind the scenes. Pictures by Kate Mallender.
WHEN the Great Yorkshire Show organisers put out a call for wannabe amateur models to join the professional team for this year’s newlook fashion show, they were astonished at the response. Move over, Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and David Gandy because the farmers are in the building. Specifically, the sheep shearing stage.
More than 70 people, from teenagers through to 60-somethings, applied from across Yorkshire and the UK to take part in the return of the Great Yorkshire Show’s much-loved catwalk event. Almost all were from farming and rural communities or had links to agriculture.
Co-ordinator Bernadette Gledhill said: “We’ve really struck a chord, and across all ages and backgrounds – from sheep farmers to gamekeepers to dancers and a fitness expert. What they all have in common is a link with farming and love of the countryside.
“In the past, well-known personalities such as Anita Rani, singer Lizzie Jones, paralympian Hannah Cockroft and Yorkshire vets Julian Norton and Peter Wright have taken part alongside our professional models, so it’s wonderful that this year there’s a new element with the would-be models taking part.”
It was a tough job but Bernadette and her team selected 12 new faces to take part in the From Sheep to Chic daily fashion shows which will focus on luxury and designer clothes made using British wool.
The amateur models are now looking forward to wearing collections from several leading Yorkshire-based designers and retailers, joining a team of professional models on the runway, which has an unusual new location for 2023.
Show director Charles Mills said: “The new venue for the shows could not be more appropriate. For the first time they will be held on the stage in the sheep shearing area, next to more than 2,000 sheep which will be shown in the competitive classes.”
Skipton-based knitwear designer Joan Murray will be showing her designs and brought several of her signature fluid and ethereal dresses along for a pre-show fashion shoot staged at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate to bring the newbie models together for the first time.
“It’s great having wool as a main focus, that’s what I’m really enjoying,” Joan said, adding: “All of my work is with biodegradable wool.”
Designer Mary Benson will also be showcasing her work at the show, including a beautiful dress made with Abraham Moon tweed. “We had to sample things a little bit, to make sure that the tweeds work with the shapes I usually use – I usually do bridal and special occasion wear – but it works really well,” she said. “I love it. I will definitely be using tweed from now on.”
Originally from Seacroft in Leeds,