Congratulations to three Transition Year students from John the Baptist Community School, Hospital, who qualified for the southern regional final of Junk Kouture. Junk Kouture is a national competition for second level students in Ireland and Northern Ireland which challenges teenagers to create high-end wearable fashion from everyday junk that would normally find its way into the bin. Junk Kouture aims to inspire and ignite passion in these teenagers while at the same time subtly educating them about the importance of recycling and reusing waste for the good of the planet. In the last three years, Junk Kouture has established itself as the premier fashion competition for teenagers throughout Ireland. TY students Anne-Marie Flynn, Niamh Larkin and Eimear Doody toiled endlessly on their stunning entry “Re-Silience”, under the guidance of art teachers Caoimh Ryan and Suzanne Mortell.
Created from hundreds of discarded balloons, the beautiful outfit encapsulates the theme of mental health, in particular the concept of being inflated and exuberant, and conversely, deflated and depressed. The maze pattern of the dress signifies being trapped within one’s thoughts versus the expressive, vibrant top which emulates the feathers of a bird and the freedom that comes with speaking out. The colours too represent this mix of emotions – bright and uplifting down to duller and more sullen tones. The headpiece is used to symbolise the delicacy of one’s mind and again, being trapped by one’s mond.
Best of luck to the team, their creation and their teachers in the regional final in the University of Limerick Concert Hall, on the 14th of March.
