Comedy comes to the catwalk

Stand-ups become models in new runway shows

Comedians are to take to the catwalk in a series of shows that combined fashion with stand-up.

Designer Bo Carter has recruited comics including Jenny Eclair, Jen Brister, Desiree Burch and Sophie Duker to take part in her Fashion Loves Comedy events next month.

At each of them, the comics will walk the runway then perform around ten minutes of stand-up. The shows feature only female and non-binary performers in a celebration of International Women's Day

The Yorkshire-based designer, who champions ethical fashion told Chortle: ‘I organise lots of shows, over here in Leeds and I always use diverse models, but the idea to work with comedians came from chatting over breakfast with Tiff Stevenson.

‘I have been following the comedy industry over the last two years or so and – as in many industries – the gender gap was something I really took deep interest in.

‘I started finding so many great female and non-binary comedians but still not seeing as many of them on the panel shows or any shows, really. So I want to spot the light on them, celebrate them and be proud with them.’

Others taking part in the events - which are raising money for the Choose Love humanitarian charity, include Kiri Pritchard McLean, Ola Labib, Shappi Khorsandi, Hannah Byczkowski, Rosie Holt, Ria Lina and Fatiha El-Ghorri.

Eclair said: ‘I decided I want to do this because the charity is great…. and it's a way of doing something that I've never heard of before.

‘I don't know that this has ever been done: female comics doing a fashion show and telling a gag down the runway… it just appealed to me. I just thought "oh, this is out of the ordinary".

‘And because the shoot isn't that far away from my house, it’s all quite convenient, really….’

The Fashion Loves Comedy events take place at Studio Jones on March 7 and Tooting Tram and Social on March 8 and 10. More information is here.

Here are some of the comics wearing Polish-born Carter’s designs:

Amy and Bo
Amy Matthews with Bo Carter (T-shirt not her design)

Jenny

Jenny again
Jenny Eclair

Lachlan
Laclan Werner

Thanks for reading. If you find Chortle’s coverage of the comedy scene useful or interesting, please consider supporting us with a monthly or one-off ko-fi donation.

Any money you contribute will directly fund more reviews, interviews and features – the sort of in-depth coverage that is increasingly difficult to fund from ever-squeezed advertising income, but which we think the UK’s vibrant comedy scene deserves.

Subscribe or donate here

Published: 14 Feb 2024