FASHION 4 PASSION will not only entertain, but also help transform any fast-fashion fiend into a responsible (while still fun and stylish) fashionista, so open yourself – and your wardrobe – up and let Sam and Jen give you one hell of a comedic and meaningful makeover! Queensland-based performers Samantha (Sam) LeClaire and Jennifer (Jen) Laycock are ready to (enjoyably) school you in the realities of the fashion world by utilising many entertaining forms of performance, such as song, dance, and comedy with varying bold-personality characters to help spread their ethical fashion gospel. Their array of characters, as well as the energy it takes to portray them, is impressive. The personalities they embody include an array of those involved in different areas of the fashion industry, from sassy alcoholic TV hosts who would rip your outfit – and confidence – apart in two seconds flat, to morally-skewed (and even murderous) influencers that have appeared in our modern times. Sam and Jen’s impressions of overly-dramatic and somewhat obnoxious Gen Z school kids performing their year 12 drama presentation is especially entertaining, while also providing some history about the fashion world. They’ve also cleverly utilised elements of currently popular TikTok voiceovers to relate to a younger age of audience (think the P.O.V voiceover), which also provides direction and consistency in a show that is bursting at the seams with different performance elements. The dark side of the fashion industry is an incredibly relevant topic, with plenty of talk in the last couple of years about issues like slave-labour and excessive wastage, which have been highlighted by popular shows like ‘War on Waste’ and media articles on major retailer H&M’s green-washing campaigns. It’s always refreshing (and an advantage for those trying to implore change) to have helpful educational messages cleverly placed within a fun, flirty and frilly form of entertainment, and these gals have done a great job at blending the two into one very enjoyable experience. The messages are cleverly interwoven between relevant pop culture references, nostalgic song choices (Hoku’s Perfect Day and Samantha Ronson’s Built This Way), dramatic outfit changes (including a giant SHEIN clothing monster), hilarious duo dance routines, mockingly narcissistic moments of breaking into song, youthfully energetic skits, and audience interactions – all polished and preened chaos with a worthwhile purpose. The duo do a great job of emphasising that in reality, outfit repeating is not the (capitalistically-pushed) sin we thought it was, and that supporting unethical labels is where the major ‘ick’ factor now lies. This show is a great example of what can be achieved by those who have not only a mission for change, but also the talent to capture people’s attention, and is a very successful production to come out of the ethically-driven Queensland theatre company Art For Earthlings. Sam and Jen have found the sweet (polka-dot) spot between important education and giggle-inducing entertainment, with laugh-out-loud hilarity for all types of audience members that is also a successful reminder to consider where your next clothing purchase comes from. Let’s put it this way, if FASHION 4 PASSION was an outfit, it’s definitely one that we would be caught repeating.