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Icon of the week: Becks Morgan

by Kalina Hagen | May 4, 2025

 

Many prolific artists are more multifaceted than we might first think. Joni Mitchell thinks of herself as a painter first; Andy Warhol thought he’d be remembered for his cinema. All the most interesting people split their time between many different pursuits. I was reminded of this erstwhile maxim when I sat down with this week’s Icon, third-year Historian Becks Morgan. If you’re from the North, are involved in the Oxford fashion scene, or are a fan of any night out in Oxford, you’ll have met Becks.  Northerner, pageant competitor, community organiser: Becks does it all.

 

 

As we began our interview, and I informed her (in an attempt to feel like a proper journalist) that whatever she said from that point forward was on the record, her eyes lit up. “Wait, if we’re on the record, I have something I want to say.” I was immediately intrigued. “My main goal in life is to one day eat a human. As long as they consent, obviously- it’s like, ethical cannibalism.” With the tone firmly set, we began with a discussion of her role as Northern Soc President.

 

 

Kalina: What was the best thing about being Northern Soc President?

 

 

Becks: Northern Soc really is a home away from home, and I‘ve been so happy to be able to facilitate that in a place like Oxford. Being a Northerner wasn’t a big part of my identity before I came to Oxford. Before university, I didn’t realise how little my family had travelledmy little sister, before she came to visit me, had never been further south than Leeds. The amount of accent mocking and all the assumptions and misconceptions you face make being Northern something to be really proud of.

 

 

Kalina: Speaking of the North, enlighten mewhere does it start?

 

 

Becks: What a can of worms. Geographically, it would be wrong to not consider including the Midlands. I view the North/South divide as mainly an issue of transportation. It influences so much about a place’s culture. If you have a train station with multiple services, then you need to question whether where you come from is culturally Northern. Like Harrogateit doesn’t belong in the North. It’s the poshest place in the world; I want to exile Harrogate. That should have been my agenda when I was in the Youth Parliament.

 

 

Kalina: Wait, you were a Member of Youth Parliament?

 

 

Becks: Yeah, this is the other side of me, the one that people don’t really know about. I’ve done a lot of charity and political workI wanted to be Prime Minister when I was younger. I worked with Jamie Oliver to introduce a watershed law regulating fast food advertising on kids TV, and I ran lots of activity days for foster and low-income children back home. I think that’s why I’ve made it to the finals of Miss Great Britain.

 

 

Kalina: You’re a pageant competitor? Tell me more about that. What’s Miss Great Britain?

 

 

Becks: Miss Great Britain is one of the oldest, most prestigious pageants in Britain. It supports lots of charities, this year it’s Cancer Research, Alex’s Wish and A-Sisterhood. The point of it is to give young women who make significant contributions to their communities a platform to amplify their voices. I’ve gone through multiple rounds, including essays and interviews. I’m Miss Scarborough 2025, so I get to go to nationals in October, in Leicester. It is still your typical pageantyou get to walk on stage, with crowns and dresses. Ultimately, though, it’s about creating positive change in your local community.

 

 

Kalina: That’s amazing. Where exactly is your local community? Where were you raised?

 

 

Becks: I’m from WhitbyDracula was written there, Captain Cook who “discovered” Australia is from there, and it’s where the dates of Easter were decided, at Whitby Abbey. It’s very touristy.

 

 

Kalina: What was it like growing up in Whitby? What made you want to come to Oxford?

 

 

Becks: I love Whitby, but I didn’t grow up in the kind of community that sends lots of people to Oxbridgeeven to university. I’ve wanted to come to Oxford since I was in Year 6. Neither of my parents went past GCSEs, and neither have my siblings. I was always encouraged to do the best I could, and it turned out I could get the higher grades. I told my dad I wanted to go to Oxford, and here I am! It wasn’t the easiest journey; Oxford felt really inaccessible, but I did it anyway. I try to pay it forward nowaccessibility is a big passion of mine.

 

 

Kalina: I see that- if you could do one thing to improve Oxford’s accessibility, what would it be?

 

 

Becks: Actually, I’d focus on the societies. They make such a massive difference to someone’s time here, and so many of them are so cliquey and intimidating. When new members come to events there’s an expectation that you have push yourself into the clique to get involved. Oxford societies need to realise that they need to talk to new people to get new people. I’ve really tried to push back against that cultureespecially as Fashion Soc President. Northern Soc doesn’t have that problem as much.

 

 

Kalina: Wait, you’re Fashion Soc President as well? What’s your favourite part of that role?

 

 

Becks: Yeah, I am, and I also used to be involved in Media Soc which I loved. Fashion Soc has been taken from a small club for people who just enjoy fashion as a hobby to something that’s creating career opportunities for people who wouldn’t have access otherwise. Fashion is a notoriously difficult industry to break into, and the people who do manage are usually well-connected and located in big cities. We’ve had some amazing events; the CEO of Alexander McQueen came to talk to us, for example. Now that I’m focusing on finals I’ve taken a step back from my role in Fashion Soc, though. I miss it!

 

 

Kalina: In that vein, who’s your personal style icon? How does their style come through in the way you dress day-to-day?

 

 

Becks: Paris Hilton. She’s my style and life icon. I love the 2000s sparkly, girly aesthetic, but I also love how subversive she was. Everyone told her she was showing too much skin and that it wasn’t appropriate, but she did it anyway. She subverted gender norms. As for me, I’d say I’m very basic, almost to a fault. But I really believe that style is about being comfortable in what you’re wearingnot everyone has to make waves with their personal style. I’ve definitely bounced around a bit, though: as a kid, I was never afraid to make my own style choices. I once ran the Oktoberfest in a neon pink Pineapple velvet tracksuit (it’s the council house version of Juicy Couture). I also went through a black fedora phase, but we don’t talk about that.

 

 

Kalina: Okay, last one. Fuck, marry, avoid: Fashion Soc, Media Soc, Northern Soc.

 

 

Becks: You cannot do this to me… but I’m marrying Northern Soc, absolutely. I’m gonna fuck Media Soc, because people should be more involved with it than they arethey offer direct career pathways. I’ll avoid Fashion Soc, because fashion should be a personal journey.

 

 

Kalina: Anything else you’d like to say?

 

 

Becks: I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself after disposable vapes are illegal on May 30th. I’ll have only been twenty-one for nineteen days, and I always saw myself as being a twenty-one-year-old with a vape.

 

Words by Kalina Hagen. Photo courtesy Becks Morgan.∎

 

 

The Oxford Fashion Society responds to this article: “Since the publication of this interview, Fashion Society has clarified that Becks Morgan is not affiliated with the society and is not a member of the committee. The society also disputes claims made in the interview regarding her involvement.”