Rushed to Rebirth

The anticipation in the air was practically tangible, sticking to my tongue almost in the same way as the clouds of hairspray settling around the room in a haze. The designated makeup and hair area was packed, stylists and models filling every seat and space available, the sound of hair dryers and spray canisters, the tap of makeup brushes against pallets, everywhere you turned; the commotion followed. I found myself wondering how I ended up here, having the privilege to stand in such a room, finding myself in such a surreal situation.  

On September 20^th 2026, Alice Newbold published an article in British Vogue with the headline “Onalaja didn’t let a studio fire stop her staging a joyful LFW debut”, hours after what can only be described as a triumphant show.  

I was only able to watch the runway show fully through videos, after the event had ended, having seen and been a part of the dedication and hard work to help put the fashion show together, I can confidently say the Onalaja LFW show was nothing short of phenomenal, or as Newbold put it, joyful.  

Kirsten Poppitt is a former Edinburgh Napier student, who funnily enough, I did not meet at university, but instead at work. A former co-worker who I now have the privilege to call one of my closest friends. At the end of the summer after months of hard work and graduating university, Kirsten received the opportunity to move to London to complete an internship with PR company Evolve Studios.  

I wouldn’t be able to tell you where or what I was doing when I received the text from Kirsten, but I’ll never forget the words that glowed below from my phone screen: “Would you want to work a show for London Fashion Week?”  

There was and is no world in which my answer would have been no.  

A couple of emails, a copy of my CV, and one call later, I found myself in a fluorescently lit basement, surrounded by frantic models, volunteer staff. As well as some of the most beautifully beaded dresses I have ever laid eyes on. From bright reds and oranges to more muted grays and black, the care put into each piece was utterly breathtaking.  

I am by no means a fashion expert, but the story each piece told, and the theme of the show itself was undeniable. A line of dresses that depicted rising from the ashes of the studio fire, a rebirth. A theme that resonated not only with designer Kanyinsola Onalaja, but with many of the people I had the pleasure of working with. And me.  

After receiving a lifechanging health diagnosis and a year of pain and missed opportunities, I had often found myself wondering if the dreams and standards I had once set were even achievable. If instead I should resign myself to the reality of doubt.  

I met Hailey Winder the same way I met all the models, excited quick conversations in between dressings and photos. But it was in the middle of one of these conversations that she asked, “Are you American too?” Within that moment I felt a silent, invisible string fall into place.  

Hailey is the type of person you can talk to for one minute and feel as though you have known each other for weeks. Overflowing with warm energy and a sense of positivity that burned just as brightly as the flame-likebeading on her dress, it was no wonder she opened the show.  

Before taking a chance and moving to London, Hailey had spent two years living and working in Madrid. Originally from Tampa, Florida, she had also had what she called, “a weird year” (like me).  

Though she has always been creating and modeling alongside some friends, it wasn’t until London that Hailey truly considered herself a part of the fashion industry. I suppose opening an LFW show and having your picture plastered across countless magazine websites will have that effect.  

Days after the show, when I spoke to her, I asked Hailey what it meant to represent Onalaja, a brand that had been through such hardships, and to open a show with the theme of rebirth. Hailey said, “It was very full circle for me. To know that you can still move forward and be reborn even after such a terrible event just really resonated, and the collection was truly so beautiful.” 

I called Kirsten shortly after, becoming so consumed with the idea of this show being a renewal of sorts for everyone involved.  

We had of course discussed the show after it had happened under the yellow glow of streetlights over a glass of white wine. But neither of us could say we had fully processed the event and what it had meant to us.  

Kirsten had been upstairs working the fashion show, handling the VIP guests and escorting them to Getty Images for photos, in an experience she said was, “eye opening”. She later said, “You don’t actually realize how intense a show is until you’ve worked one. But the pride I felt afterwards is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”  

I told her I couldn’t agree more.  

Kirsten had first acquired experience within the fashion industry back in Scotland, where she was aprt of the committee organizing the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show. An experience she largely attributes to opening the doors of opportunity for her, saying, “If you were to tell me a month ago, I’d be delivering a dress to Milan for Dua Lipa to wear I’d would’ve called you crazy. I can’t quite believe this is happening to me. For one of the only Scottish students apart of ECFS to be involved in something this big means the world.” 

When the call ended and I was once again left with the silence of my racing mind, I allowed myself the peace to process. To process the words of everyone involved, to reflect on the show, and to allow myself to bask in the experience.  

So no, a studio fire did not keep Onalaja from staging an astonishing debut. A show on rebirth and resilience in the face of hardship. A show full of others who each had their own story of resilience, their own rebirth.  

A marker in many of the people who were involved lives, an accomplishment, and a reminder, that no matter the challenge, no matter where you come from or the draining year you may have faced, you can always still rise from the ashes.