Junk Kouture – Empowering the Younger Generation
Make no mistake – JK is on a mission! A mission to unleash young people’s creative brilliance…
…and we believe them!!! Their goal? Simple – to empower young people to embrace the principle of sustainable living.
So…million-dollar question for those of you not in the know – Junk Kouture is a fashion competition using recycled materials, which challenges young people to design, create, and model high-end couture from everyday junk!
It takes in elements of fashion, design, engineering, and environmental sustainability and transforms them into a creative contest like no other!
Junk Kouture enables students all over the country to embrace the principle of sustainable living whilst unleashing their inner creative genius, as they fashion bespoke designs out of rubbish and discarded materials.
A recent partnership was announced earlier this year between RTE with Junk Kouture – “allowing us to keep issues of sustainability and climate consciousness front-of-mind with younger audiences, which is an ongoing focus for us,’ says an RTE spokesperson.
Junk Kouture spokesperson and CEO, Troy Armour says: “We are really excited about our new partnership with RTÉ! To date over half of all secondary schools in the country participate in the competition and with our new partnership, we will bring it to an even wider audience.
Work is currently underway to bring Junk Kouture to the UK, California and Hong Kong, followed by Spain, Australia and New York. With RTÉ joining us for 2020, we have the opportunity now to grow a phenomenal grassroots movement into something even bigger, as we continue to champion the extraordinary creativity of Ireland’s young people.”
The new partnership will see the introduction of an RTÉ 2FM Junk Kouture Wildcard, where one lucky entrant from each of the five regions will be chosen by Ireland’s national music station to compete alongside 75 other national finalists.
The Numbers don’t lie
Since its humble beginnings ten years ago, Junk Kouture has attracted over 40,000 students, 8,000 teachers with a whopping 100,000 audience members. Taking in elements of fashion, design, engineering and environmental sustainability, the competition is all about “unleashing young people’s creative brilliance and empowering them to embrace sustainable living,” says Troy.
In April, secondary school students from across the country were scheduled to strut their stuff on the catwalk at the final in their bid for Junk Kouture glory, wearing haute couture outfits made entirely from recycled rubbish.
However, due the current extraordinary fallout the COVID pandemic has caused – like everything the shows have been put ‘on-ice’ until normality has resumed …fingers crossed!!!
About Junk Kouture
Creativity is the driving factor of every single aspect of Junk Kouture, as post-primary school students across the island are challenged to produce high-end designs – from junk!
JK’s distinguished Panel
Star of RuPaul’s Drag Race Michelle Visage will join the judging panel with The X-Factor’s Louis Walsh to lend their entertainment expertise to proceedings to help their fellow judges – Dr Tracey Fahey from LIT, Jane Leavey of Griffith College, and former winner and LSAD graduate Stephen McLaughlin – on the night.
Regional final dates:
- Northern Region – Millennium Forum, Derry – 27th February
- Eastern Region – The Helix, Dublin – 2nd March
- South-Eastern Region – The Helix, Dublin – 3rd March
- Western Region – TF Royal Theatre, Castlebar – 5th March
- Southern Region – University Concert Hall, Limerick – 6th March
- Final – 3Arena, Dublin – 30th April
We can’t wait to see it! Keep your eyes peeled…
Discover more info at junkkouture.com
