Celebrations for two local schools at Junk Kouture Finals
A young student from Moate Community School is celebrating this morning after her magnificent dress made from old denim jeans, curtain cord, beads, pearls, metal zips and buttons was chosen at the Western Regional winner at the 2021 Grand Final of Junk Couture last night (Thursday).
Lucy Mitchell also won the LSAD Bursary Award for her inspiring creation called 'Jeaneology' and she was joined on the podium by three other students from Moate Community School who won a Glamour Award on the night for their design 'Netiquette.' The three Moate students who designed the glamour-award winning creation were Joyce Conway, Cora Farrell and Áine Maxwell who created a dress from clear plastic sheeting, wool, used plastic netting recycled from a garden center and plastic bags.
Londiwe Ndlovu and Ligia Afedoaei Our Lady's Bower Secondary School won the "Best Performance Award" for their creation 'I'ts All About the Package' made from packaging materials from daily usage to high fashion recyclable packaging - bubble wrap, plastic sheets, polystyrene, PLT packaging, DKNY sponge, Boohoo packaging and pearls.
Two other students from The Bower, Shauna Jameson and Sarah Skelly also won an award for their design 'V.I.Pea' made from wasted pea pods and red onion bags.
The overall winnner of Junk Kouture 2021 was 17-year old Alicia Rostermundt from Coláiste Bríde, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford for her design 'Iconoclastic Fantastic.' Inspired by iconic designer Jean-Paul Gaultier and singer Janelle Monáe, both known for their influential androgynous styles and non-conformist approach to fashion, Alicia’s monochrome outfit made from a charity shop find, seatbelts and an old tent wowed the judges as she became the 11th winner of the design competition.
As Alicia walked away as overall winner and winner of the Southeast region, four other designs were crowned regional winners during the show hosted by RTÉ 2FM’s Laura Fox and Emma Power.
Viewers at home tuned in to RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player on Thursday as 40 incredible designs created and modelled by talented young designers made their bid for Junk Kouture glory. As always, the golden rule was that all outfits were made of 100% recycled materials and it was safe to say that this year’s students definitely pushed the boundaries, with bike helmets, yoga mats, silage wrap and even old tights getting a new lease of life as haute-couture creations.
Meanwhile, the voting period for the brand new RTÉ 2FM Audience Award runs on www.rte.ie/junkkouture until 12 noon on Friday 17th December. The judges have chosen their winner but now it’s time for viewers at home to have their say! The winner of the RTÉ 2FM Audience Award will be announced live on air on the Jennifer Zamparelli Show on RTÉ 2FM on Monday 20th December.
And if anyone is feeling inspired after the Grand Final, teachers of young creatives aged between 13 – 18 in Ireland have from January 20 to February 3 to submit their completed designs via the Junk Kouture mobile app, available for both Android and iOS, for the 2022 competition which will culminate in the first ever World Final!
Live regional finals in venues across Ireland are scheduled to return in March 2022 and successful entrants will then battle it out at the national final in Dublin scheduled for May 2022, in the hopes of winning one of ten coveted spots to compete at the Junk Kouture World Final later next year. If designers think they have what it takes to make it on the global stage, they can enter as an individual or as a team with a maximum of three members.
Junk Kouture is p[owered by RTÉ. The Creative Ireland Programme continues to support Junk Kouture across several areas developing its online education resources to ensure that students and educators alike can avail of educational material around Junk Kouture’s three areas of focus – creativity, sustainability and entrepreneurship. Programmes driven by the support of Creative Ireland will help educators encourage young people to become micro-influencers for change through creativity and circularity.
Full list of winners
East region and Griffith College bursary winner: 頌歌大龍(‘Songge Da Long’) by Grace Kenneally from Dundalk Grammar School, Co. Louth, made from vintage Vietnamese silk, Ao Dai coat, ballet leotard, old bra, pillow case, duvet, chiffon curtains, chiffon ballet skirt, black collared shirt, boning ribbons from horse riding rosettes, old work trousers, rope, silica beads and palm leaves.
North region winner: 'Espoir' by Aoife Duffin and Naoise Gilpin from St. Louis Grammar School, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, made from recycled strings, packaging foam, table placemats, table covering, cardboard, metal of a hair band and a form of protective plastic packaging.
South region winner: ‘Ephemeral Bloom’ by Brenda Lim, Brianna Sheehan and Molly Jackson from Coláiste Nano Nagle, Co. Limerick, made from bedsheets, construction mesh, paper coasters, wire, Pearl necklaces, lace, a corset from a wedding dress, cardboard, copper, yoga mats, copper wires, flip-flops, socks, styrofoam and newspaper.
West region and LSAD Bursary winner: ‘Jeaneology’ by Lucy Mitchell from Moate Community School, Co. Westmeath, made from old denim jeans, curtain cord, beads, old pearl earrings, metal zips and buttons.
Best Performance Award: 'It's All About the Package' made by Londiwe Ndlovu and Ligia Afedoaei from Our Lady's Bower Secondary School, Co. Westmeath. Design is made from packaging materials from daily usage to high fashion recyclable packaging - bubble wrap, plastic sheets, polystyrene, PLT packaging, DKNY sponge, Boohoo packaging and pearls.
Creative for a Cause Award: 'Save This Image' made by Aoibhínn Ginty, Shannon Moran and Leah Hanlon from Cnoc Mhuire Secondary School, Co. Longford. Design is made from waste copper wires and cables.
Glamour Award 1: ‘Got Milk?’ made by Dara Kelly, Leah Cassidy and Rachel Furlong from Presentation Secondary School, Co. Wexford. Design is made from milk cartons, plastic bottles, cardboard cartons and metal coat hangers.
Glamour Award 2: ‘Netiquette’ made by Joyce Conway, Cora Farrell and Áine Maxwell from Moate Community School, Co. Westmeath. Design is made from clear plastic sheeting, wool, used plastic netting recycled from a garden center and plastic bags.
Finishing Touches: 'V.I.Pea' made by Shauna Jameson and Sarah Skelly from Our Lady's Bower Secondary School, Co. Westmeath. Design is made from wasted pea pods and red onion bags.
Enterprise Award: ‘Alarming Twists’ made by Ellen Rowny, Fial Dalton, Chloe Cross, from Mountrath Community School, Co Laois. Design is made from old alarm cables and wires, plastic bottles and plastic bags.
Most Unusual Material Award: 'Inside Out' made by Rhianna Heffron and Katie McCaw from St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena, Co. Antrim. Design is made 100% from old and ripped tights, stockings, pop socks and an old, recycled zip.
Teacher of the Year: Sarah Nestor, Coláiste Nano Nagle, Limerick