Ears around the city must be ringing following the Junk Kouture Dublin City Final in Dublin's 3Arena tonight.
Throughout the night, 80 up-and-coming eco-conscious creators put their jaw-dropping designs on the catwalk, with models walking out to catchy tunes, thunderous applause and glass-breaking levels of screaming from an audience of friends, family, teachers and classmates.
In the end, 10 haute-couture designs made from 100% recycled materials were chosen by Louis Wash, Keilidh Cashell, Tara Kumar and Stephen McLaughlin to compete at the 2023 Junk Kouture World Final in Ovo Arena Wembley in London on 12th October.
Technical judge and Programme Director for Fashion Design at Griffith College Jane Leavey has worked behind the scenes this year to help the judging panel select nine worthy designs.
RTÉ Lifestyle Editor Sínann Fetherston was RTÉ's representative at the final helping the judges award the RTÉ World Finalist title, making up the 10 winning designs.
The designs will battle it out against 50 other teams from Abu Dhabi, London, Paris, Milan and New York in London to become the World Designer of the Year!
Without further ado, and in no particular order, the 10 winners were:
Invidia modelled by Ailish Doherty of Carndonagh Community School, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, made from shoe boxes and a shower curtain. Designers are Ailish Doherty, Julia Grant and Ciara Gilmore.
Drowning Duchess modelled and designed by Eabha Byrnes of St. Anne’s Secondary School, Tipperary made from pool floats and inflatables.
Tonnes of Tradition by Aisha Khan, Khadija Bibi and Harjass Kau of Coláiste Nano Nagle, Limerick, made from tonne bags, wool, up-cycled curtains, curtain rings, wires, keys and bed sheets.
The Muse by Asia O'Riordan and Erris Lindsay from Blessington Community College. Made of beads, bingo cards, wool, sticks of willow, old denim, fabrics and paint.
STEMinist designed by Vanessa Kielty, Martha Nugent and Mary McNulty of Elphin Community College, Elphin, Co. Roscommon, created to encourage more girls to become involved in STEM subjects. Made from old electrical wiring and a copper water cylinder, nuts and bolts, rusted corrugated iron, high-vis jacket, disused landscape netting, tool mats, gears and plastic.
Fallen Angel by Alexa Alexandrina of St. Kevin's Community College, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. Made from old sheets, foil and playing cards.
Le Nouveau Riche by Theo Connolly of Dundalk Grammar School, Louth, made using waste from vaccine centres.
Ragnor Rí designed by Leah Higgins and modelled by Joshua Whelan of Clarin College, Athenry, Co. Galway, made from recycled faux furs and leather offcuts, car timing belts, broken studs and buckles from a local shoemaker embellish the design. The design is adapted to meet the mobility and wearability needs of a wheelchair user.
#TagME designed by Eva Donlon, Evie Nugent and Méabh O'Shea of Moate Community School, Westmeath. Made from plastic colour samples for various plastic objects – they’ve used over 2,500 tags, handsewn together. These samples usually end up in landfill because the different colours make them difficult to recycle.
RTÉ Finalist The Eye of the Beholder modelled by Lauren Egan of Ursuline Secondary School, Templemore Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary made from discarded tents, garden hose and an old builder’s helmet. The designers are Zoe Whelan, Lauren Egan and Shauna Walsh.
Speaking on the designs, new JK judge Keilidh Cashell said: "We were blown away by the talent so it was a very tough task to choose just 10 designs from 80 incredible creations! Everything from train tickets to burst footballs were transformed into something new – I couldn't believe my eyes at times!
"I am glad it wasn’t just down to me otherwise there’d be more than ten designs heading to the World Final! London, get ready - there are some really quirky and cool designs headed your way!"
Louis Walsh added: "I’ve been judging Junk Kouture a long time and I can say it never gets any easier to choose the winners – but I think we’ve got this decision right! It was important we picked designs who really rocked the stage of 3Arena as the World Final is the biggest event in the Junk Kouture calendar – you’ve got to bring it to a new level! Best of luck to our top ten in London!"
Also in attendance on the night was RTÉ 2FM Rising artist Ryan Mack who played three roof-raising songs - but don't worry, if you weren't there, you can catch all the action on 18th May at 7pm on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player as young filmmaker Seán Treacy, director, presenter and content creator Órla Morris Toolen and RTÉ Jr presenter Mary Claire Fitzpatrick bring you all the highlights and backstage action from the final.
Watch all the action from the 3Arena on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player on May 18 at 7pm.
