Junk Kouture is a fashion competition for second level students. This competition requires students to create a wearable outfit from recycled materials. The students can work in groups of up to three on their project, with one of them having to model the outfit. A sixty second performance with their chosen music is then required.
In the four years that we have been involved in the competition, we have succeeded in getting at least one outfit to the national final each year. There can be up to 1500 entries in the competition from schools all over Ireland each year, and 80 make it to the final.
Due to its ever-increasing popularity and the time demands on the project, Junk Kouture is now timetabled for Transition Years. The students have to apply to get into the class, by submitting their ideas and materials in an application in September.
The initial deadline for the online application is usually the end of January. So the students have from September until January to design and create their outfit. Work on the outfit is also done after school, at least one evening per week. Then in January we have a school fashion show the showcase the students finished outfits. Parents and family of the participants are invited to attend.
There are five Regional Finals. The Southern Regional Final takes place in early March in the University Concert Hall Limerick. Fifteen outfits from the Regional Final are selected to go to the Final in the 3Arena in Dublin in May.
Our most recent involvement was in 2020, with the “Givin It Wellie” outfit winning the Southern Region and “Barking Up The Wrong Tree” winning the most unusual material award. It is a fantastic experience for students, allowing them to exploit the potential of their creative ability.