Time running out for students to enter Junk Kouture
Artistic and creative students across Ireland are being encouraged to get their hands on industrial, electrical, commercial and domestic waste products and turn them into pieces of fashion art. The call comes as the deadline approaches for entry into the 2013 Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion competition in association with the European Recycling Platform (ERP) on January 31. Last year's competition saw Emily Henshaw, Katie Brill and Anna Keegan from Our Lady's Bower, Athlone reach the Grand Final with their design Rejuicing is Appealing, made entirely from dried orange peels. The Athlone entry scooped the western final of the competition, appeared on the The Late Late Show, and even got showcased on the red carpet at the Royal film Premiere of The Hobbit in London in December. Created in 2010 by entrepreneurs Elizabeth O'Donnell and Troy Armour, the Junk Kouture competition has seen thousands of teenagers' work submitted over the past two years, with some spectacular and awe-inspiring pieces gracing the competition's regional and national catwalks. Sponsored by ERP, the only pan-European compliance scheme for electronic waste and battery recycling, Junk Kouture is the leading fashion and art competition for secondary school students across Ireland and has a reputation, among many, as being the most creative. Elizabeth O'Donnell, founder of Junk Kouture said: "We're always intrigued to know just what the students will come up with at the competition's regional heats, but we've been really blown away at the standard and levels of creativity as well as the cool things which these kids have done with other people's junk. I imagine 2013 will be no different so we're really looking forward to working with schools right across Ireland to bring junk back to a very fashionable life! Registration for the 2013 competition closes on January 31 at www.junkkouture.com. All the entries are then reviewed by the judges supermodel Faye Dinsmore, TV Presenter Daren Kennedy, ERP's Yvonne Holms and educator Tracy Fahey, who must whittle the entries down to just 80 creations from each region - north, south, east and west. The chosen outfits become the semi-finalists and subsequently the students must choreograph a performance to showcase their outfit on the catwalk in one of four regional theatres - The Millennium Forum, The Helix, University Concert Hall Limerick or The Royal Theatre Castlebar. At each semi-final 20 of the best creations are put through to the Grand Final in The Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin on April 19, presented by Cheryl and Emile. During the Grand Final €20,000 worth in prizes are up for grabs including €2,500 in cash for the winning school, €1,000 of IT equipment, €500 cash and a one week course in the Grafton Academy of Design for the winning team, the Glamour Prize to attend the Cannes Film Festival 2013 and The Red Carpet Prize to attend the Royal Film Premiere in London 2013. Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion Competition 2013 is open to all second level students. For further information, please log on to www.junkkouture.com or visit the Facebook page at: Facebook.com/junkkouture