‘It felt like a dream’: Belfast teen hits right note with London Fashion Week performance

Emily Wilson (17) played her harp on the Mithridate catwalk in their Autumn Winter ‘24 runway show at the event.

The student has been playing the harp for seven years but never thought she would be performing on a catwalk.

“It was just a really random, surreal experience for me, it all felt like some sort of dream,” she said.

“It was never really something I expected, everything moved so fast, so even when it was happening I didn’t know what to expect.”

Emily was scouted by Storm Management but it wasn’t her harp playing that initially drew the agency to her, it was her singing.

“I started Methodist College Belfast in Lower Sixth and myself and six other girls were selected to sing in the King’s Coronation.

“During the Coronation, Storm saw me and got in touch with the school, they basically said ‘We’d love to have Emily as one of our models’.”

Emily was ecstatic to be offered the opportunity to model with Storm but they quickly discovered she had many talents.

“Storm had models but they also have talent so they got talking to me and they wanted to know if I had any talent,” she explained.

“I play piano and flute as well as the harp, I have three diplomas in piano and one in flute but they were particularly interested in the harp.”

Soon after, Storm contacted Emily about performing for London Fashion Week.

“Mithridate wanted me to perform, playing the harp in the centrepiece of their show,” she said.

Emily performed throughout the show, although she didn’t get a chance to meet any of the A listers attending it.

“There were some famous people there, like I think I saw Andrew Scott and Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl but I had to focus on playing so I couldn’t really see properly,” she said.

Despite being in such an exciting atmosphere, Emily was proud to be able to keep her composure: “I think because I’m used to performing it was easy enough for me to stay cool. I have played at weddings and I’ve done shows in the Waterfront Hall.

“I had lots of adrenaline but I think I just really got into it and focused on playing because I knew I couldn’t get distracted,” she said. Emily is hoping to continue modelling while focusing on her education.

“I want to go to York for music so that’s what I’m focused on at the minute but I would like to continue modelling. I know a lot of the girls are in university and are modelling part-time so I think I might try that,” she said.

Emily can’t believe how many opportunities she has had, adding: “So much has happened since the King’s Coronation and it just feels like they are all coming one after the other.”