ECFS26: SYNAESTHESIA

SYNAESTHESIA ECFS26

ECFS26: At a Glance

Event:

Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show 2026

Theme:

SYNAESTHESIA

Date:

Friday 27 March 2026

Venue:

Ps & Gs Church, Edinburgh

Organisation:

Student-led non-profit founded in 2001

Charity Partner:

Capability Scotland

Previous Fundraising (2025): £15,855.25 raised for Rock Trust

About the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show

Founded in 2001, the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show (ECFS) is a student-led, non-profit organisation that raises funds for charities across Scotland through our annual fashion show and fundraising events.

Each year, our team of over forty students and young creatives collaborate with emerging designers, models, photographers and artists to produce an unforgettable runway show. In 2025, ECFS raised £15,855.25 for Rock Trust, supporting their work to end youth homelessness in Scotland.

This year, ECFS proudly supports Capability Scotland, a charity that has provided care, education and support to disabled children and adults across Scotland for over 75 years.

Our 2026 Theme: SYNAESTHESIA

This year’s show explores SYNAESTHESIA, the merging of the senses into an immersive, multi-sensory runway experience. The production guides audiences through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell, before culminating in a sixth sense — “The Imagined.”

“From the very start, our focus for this year’s show has been on how fashion can be experienced beyond the visual. With SYNAESTHESIA, we’re experimenting with space, sound and movement to create a show that’s meant to be felt as much as it is seen.”

– Solène Ferreira, Production Director

Our Charity Partner: Capability Scotland

All proceeds from ECFS26 will go to Capability Scotland, a leading Scottish charity that delivers care, support, and education for disabled children, young people, and adults. With services spanning residential care, day opportunities, and specialist schools, they work to ensure everyone they support can achieve their potential and live fulfilling lives. For over 75 years, Capability Scotland has been at the forefront of promoting inclusion, independence, and equal opportunities for disabled people across Scotland. Funds raised will contribute to the development of a national disability centre in Perth, and the expansion of services supporting over 1,000 disabled people across the country.

“We have been deeply inspired by the adults, children and staff we’ve met at the Capability Scotland hubs. Their emphasis on authenticity, joy and openness has been profoundly moving.”

– Neve Hudson & Esme Johnson, Charities Team

Our Models

Each year, ECFS brings together a cast of models of all sizes, backgrounds, and experience levels to reflect the diversity of the Edinburgh student community. Throughout the year, they take part in editorial shoots, runway workshops, and designer fittings – all culminating in the final show.

“Seeing myself on the show poster and featured in The List still feels unreal. As a shy child, I always dreamed of being in the fashion world and walking a runway, even if it felt out of reach. Fulfilling that dream while raising funds for Capability Scotland is more than younger me could have ever imagined.”

– Lara Burdett, Model

“I am so grateful to have worked with such a friendly and professional team, especially since I had never modelled before auditioning. During the TOUCH editorial I wasn’t sure how to pose, but Ella, our Creative Director, gave me pointers that made it feel much more natural.”

– Ross Llewellyn, Model

“What I love most about ECFS is how everything comes together in the end, it’s the highlight of the year for me! I’m looking forward to the sense of community and excitement that comes with having a shared goal – raising money for Capability Scotland.”

– Serafima Yudina, Returning Model

“With over 200 applicants this year, casting was incredibly competitive. We looked for individuals who brought personality, kindness and a genuine passion for the charity behind ECFS. Watching our models grow in confidence throughout the process has been one of the most rewarding parts of the role.”

– Olly Warren & Chloe Shao, Casting and Model Relations

“When people tell me they’ve seen I’m modelling for ECFS and want to try next year, it feels surreal. Especially for other Black girls — if they can see themselves in me and think, ‘I want to do that too,’ that’s such a cool feeling. It makes me realise I have a responsibility to just show up as myself.”

– Ela Kollie, Model

Model Spotlight: Dev Kornish

Dev is one of 28 models walking in the 2026 Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show.

As a disabled model and advocate for greater accessibility and representation in fashion, Dev is passionate about challenging ableism within the industry and creating space for more diverse bodies and experiences on the runway.

Dev is happy to speak with media about their modelling experience and the importance of creating inclusive spaces.

Media Guidance -

Dev is happy to discuss:

their experience as a disabled model representation and accessibility in fashion challenging ableism in the industry

Please note: Dev uses they/them pronouns. Dev is not comfortable disclosing their medical history or going into detail about what their specific disability is or entails.

Our Designers

This year, the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show presents an extraordinary lineup of designers, each bringing their own unique vision, style, and creative voice to ECFS26: SYNAESTHESIA.

Across 50+ looks spread over six sections – sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and “The Imagined” – our designers are pushing the boundaries of fashion and sensory experience.

Listed here are just some of the designers shaping this year’s show:

“ECFS is so much more than just a student-led fashion show – it is organisation and imagination in equal measure, built of over forty committee members, alongside extraordinary models, visionary designers, and the artists who sculpt hair and paint faces into stories.

To create something visually arresting while contributing to such a vital cause reframes every late night and every difficult decision, and I could not be prouder of the team for what they have achieved for this wonderful cause.

Synaesthesia is about the meeting of senses, the blurring of boundaries, the moment when colour feels like sound and movement tastes like light. I cannot wait for you to experience what this team has built. When the lights rise and the music swells, I hope you feel not only the spectacle, but the countless unseen hours, the shared belief, and the collective heartbeat behind it.”

– Ana Arito, Chairwoman